Reena
by S. Nicolai
Summary: What happened to the women Sirius was in love with before he was arrested? Please Review. Completed!
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One "When do you plan on heading out?" Maggie Jenson asked her colleague, Reena Delton. "Weren't you supposed to go to Hogsmeade this weekend?"  
  
"I'll apperate out of here in around 10, I guess," replied the short, black headed witch.  
  
"Ok. I'm going to leave now. Don't work too hard dear, it's Friday. Take a break. I'll see you Monday. Bye Reena."  
  
With a small pop, Maggie Jenson apparated out of the Ministry of Magic offices. Reena continued to work for another few hours. At 11:30, Reena packed a thick stack of papers into a messenger bag, picked a small valise from under her desk and apparated out of deserted Minsitry offices.  
  
A few seconds later, Reena found herself outside of the Three Broomsticks pub. She knew her brother would be annoyed that she had arrived so late and simply didn't apparate inside his house. But Reena didn't care. If he wants me to visit more often, I'll do it on my own terms she thought to herself. Reena needed the few blocks it would take to walk to his house for herself. The night was peaceful and Reena enjoyed the relative silence as she walked. As she was walking, she felt as though someone was watching her. Armed with her wand, she looked cautiously around her, but she could see no one. Reena contineued to walk until she came to the door of 385 Camelot avenue. No sooner than she had knocked on the door, it swung open and a man nearly suffocated Reena with a bear hug.  
  
"Reens! Where were you?" Steven Delton asked his little sister.  
  
"Working" Reena answered dryly. She hated it when Steven asked her questions to which he already knew the answers.  
  
"You need a social life. You know, there's this chap at work you might like. He's well groomed and . . ."  
  
"Forget it," Reena snapped. Her brother was always trying to set her up. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want a boyfriend?"  
  
"You can't try to hide yourself in your work for the rest of your life."  
  
"Whose hiding? I happen to like my work. I don't have to get married and raise a family just like you," Reena retorted angrily.  
  
With a huff, Reena grabbed her valise and stormed into the guestroom at the end of corridor. She slammed the door to make sure her brother understood her anger. As she threw the valise on the bed and her bag onto the floor, Reena felt the anger surging within her.  
  
Steven Delton's biggest hope for his sister is that she would get married. He didn't like the idea of Reena trying to escape her past by burying herself in her work. Even though he got the same response form Reena every time he suggested that she go on a date, he would continue to do everything within his power to fill his sister's social calendar.  
  
Reena woke up early the next morning. She took out some of her papers and continued her work from the night before. After a few hours, Reena decided to see if her sister-in-law was awake. Sure enough, as Reena entered the kitchen, Laura was making breakfast.  
  
"Morning dearie. Steve's gone to work already. I heard you got in quite late last night. Sleep well?" Laura inquired cheerfully.  
  
"Ste gave me the usual greeting of 'I've found the perfect man for you.' It's not quite the greeting I want after 15 hours in the office," Reena replied honestly.  
  
"It's just his way of showing he cares. You ought to know that by now. The girls will be up soon. They couldn't wait for you to come. In the meantime, eat some breakfast."  
  
"What are the girls up to?" Reena asked between mouthfuls of buttered toast. Her voice was dripping with the guilt of not seeing her nieces since Easter. Every time Reena visited her brother's house, it was expected that she would baby-sit her nieces for some time so that Laura could have some time. She needed to know what her nieces liked so she could entertain later on.  
  
"Jen is becoming quite the Quidditch maniac, so don't forget her favorite team is Westham. She's got your temper, so don't forget to mention how wonderful Westham was during the season. Kate is still attached at the hip with her dolls. She's got a doll manor to go along with them now, so be patient while she gives you the grand tour. She likes to play tea party with them and anyone available. Both girls like their toy broomsticks, so you can borrow mine and take them outside in the garden later."  
  
Reena like Laura a lot. Laura was the opposite of her husband. Laura knew that Reena was happy with her work and didn't need a husband. In fact, Laura could not see Reena with anyone, although she was aware of Reena's past.  
  
"I'm going out for a the afternoon. Do you think you can take a break from the paperwork?" Laura asked teasingly.  
  
"Sure. I'd love to spend time with my only nieces. Who knows when I'll be here next. They might forget they have an aunt," Reena replied with good humor.  
  
"Thanks. You should come more often. Your visits between Easter and Christmas aren't enough. You know you're welcome here anytime," Laura said, her voice revealing the subtle sadness that her brother's only family member did not visit very often.  
  
"I know," Reena replied quickly, picking up on the tone of voice, "It's just that I don't like to leave my work hanging."  
  
The would-be awkward pause was muted with the giggly entrance of Jen, Reena's 6 year old niece, and Kate, Jen's 4 year old sister.  
  
"Good morning, little missies," Laura greeted her daughters with a hug and a kiss.  
  
"Morning Aunt Reena," Jen greeted her aunt as she plopped down to a stack of pancakes.  
  
"It's more like good afternoon," Reena exaggerated to her older neice. It was only 11 o'clock.  
  
"Hi Auntie Reena. When'd you come?" Kate asked as her mother cut the pancakes into small pieces.  
  
"Very late. What do want to do today girls? We can do anything you want," Reena said enthusiastically.  
  
"What about your work?" Jen asked uietly.  
  
"I have most of it done so I can finish it after you go to bed," Reena said, slightly embarrassed that her niece thought that her work was more important.  
  
A few hours later, Reena found herself watching Jen and Kate hovering a few inches above the lawn on their broomsticks. Reena decided not to use Laura's broom because it would not listen to her commands. As her nieces zoomed close to the ground, Reena felt as though she was being watched. She nonchalantly glanced at her surroundings. All she saw were children and elderly witches tending to their gardens. All in all, it was the typical residential setting. Jen's endless chatter about all the Westham players bounced right off of Reena. She let her mind and eyes wander around the garden. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. Reena slowly turned her head to see a large black dog sniffing the rubbish bins.  
  
"Girls, why don't we go inside for some lunch. I'll conjure up some sandwhiches," Reena told her young nieces. She was praying that they wouldn't see the stray and panic.  
  
"Okay. Only if we can have some pumpkin juice too," Jen bargained.  
  
"Of course we can have pumpkin juice. Now go inside," Reena pleaded, hoping she didn't sound desperate.  
  
The girls went inside and were propmtly presented with a large plate of chicken sandwhiches and a jug of sugar loaded pumpkin juice. As the girls happily munched on their sandwiches, Reena crept outside with 2 sandwiches. The dog was still outside.  
  
"Would you like some sandwiches?" Reena asked the dog as she cautiously walked towards it. The dog trotted towards her and took the sandwiches. As he walked away, the dog turned around and bowed his head towards Reena. Reena stood in a state of surprise as the giant black dog walked away. As her senses returned, she sprinted into her brother's house.  
  
"Where'd you go Auntie Reena?" Kate askd as slurped on her pumpkin juice.  
  
"I had to check something," Reena improvised," I see you girls are done with lunch. Take a nap and we'll do what Kate wants when you wake up."  
  
"Do I have to?" Jen complained, "I'm not a baby anymore."  
  
"Neither am I," Kate said, following her sister's lead.  
  
"Your mom likes it when you nap. Besides, I'm tired too, so go lie down. We'll play some more after I'm rested," Reena explained.  
  
"Okay. I'll lie down, but I won't sleep," Jen said indignantly.  
  
"Suit yourself. Just as long as I can rest," Reena said.  
  
After she got the girls to settle down, Reena went to her bedroom and began to work. She wanted it all done before Monday. She hated the audit of the Department of Control of Magical Creatures. It was tedious making sure that all their paperwork and accounts were in order. Reena knew with a few hours of peace and quiet she could finish the audit. 


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note- please review Disclaimer- I don't own anything  
  
The courtroom was full of spectators as the dementors brought in the prisoner for his sentencing. Crouch approached the prisoner, his voice full of superiority.  
  
"Sirius Black, you are found guilty of assisting He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named, betraying Lily and James Potter to their deaths, killing 13 Muggles, and killing Peter Pettigrew. You are being given a life sentence in Azkaban as your punishment."  
  
"I didn't do any of those things. I didn't get a trial, Crouch. How am I guilty?" Sirius demanded from the prisoner's box.  
  
"You do not have the power to question my authority," Crouch roared. "Take the prisoner away." The last sentence was directed to a pair of dementors. As ht e dementors took Sirius away, he was still and quiet. All of a sudden, he jerked up and turned his head towards a young, pretty black headed witch sitting in the spectator section of the court. He silently mouthed "I love you" to her as the dementors dragged him out of court. Everything went pitch black. Reena awoke with a sudden jolt. Pieces of parchment flew off the bed as she tried to recollect what had happened. The nightmare had felt so real. The nightmare, in fact, was real, although it was an old memory. This exact nightmare/memory had plagued Reena for years. This time though, Reena was puzzled to why she had the nightmare. She hadn't been thinking of the past for months, which was the reason the nightmare usually occurred. The nightmare was painful and Reena thought distracting herself would be a good way to forget about it.  
  
The afternoon of playing tea party with her nieces dissolved into the evening. After a full afternoon of shopping and visiting friends without the complaints of her daughters rejuvenated Laura. Steve had a good day at work and was in a cheerful mood at home. Jen and Kate were energetic and giggly after spending the day with their fantastic (and only) aunt.  
  
Reena could not shake off the feeling that the nightmare had given her. The nightmare had been haunting her since she had woken up. However, Reena did not want to alarm her brother and his wife and ruin the happy atmosphere, so she masked her feelings with a smile and occasional laughs. After the meal and dessert, Reena excused herself and went out for a walk.  
  
"Why do you want to go out now?" Steven asked his sister as she stood up. "The Quidditch match begins in one half hour." To Steven, one of life's great tragedies was not being able to catch the whole broadcast of a match.  
  
"I need some fresh air," Reena answered.  
  
"Take your wand with you. You never know what you'll encounter and you don't want to be unarmed," Steven warned.  
  
"I know, I always take my wand with me," Reena replied as she walked out the door. She wondered if her brother realized she was 33 and not 5 years old.  
  
The night was quiet and still, and Reena enjoyed it immensely. It was never this quiet in London she thought to herself as she walked through the residential quarter of Hogsmeade. The village awakened 2 strong emotions in Reena. One was a feeling of coming home. Although she had spent the better part of 16 years in London, Hogsmeade seemed like another home because her last living relative resided here. The second emotion was of profound sadness. She had lived here with her brother for two months after suffering an emotional breakdown. Those tow months were some that she would have like to have forgotten completely.  
  
A rustle in some shrubs interrupted Reena's thoughts. A large black dog walked out of the shrubs. Reena recognized it as the dog she had given the sandwiches to in the afternoon. Reena froze on the spot. Although the dog had not harmed her in the afternoon, she was still intimidated by the its size. Large animals had always scared the petite witch.  
  
The black dog walked towards Reena and stopped when it was only a few feet from her. Reena looked into the dog's eyes and saw something very familiar in them. The dog gave Reena a pleading look and she understood his hunger.  
  
"I'm not great at conjuring food. The only food item I can conjure really well are chicken sandwiches," Reena told the dog in all honesty.  
  
With a small pop a chicken sandwich appeared in Reena's hand. She put the sandwiched had out towards the dog. The dog came closer towards Reena and gently removed the sandwich from her hand.  
  
Reena continued her walk and the dog started to walk alongside her. At first, Reena was a little scared of the huge dog, but she soon felt a connection with him. Reena started to talk to the dog, although she felt silly talking to a creature that could not answer or respond to her.  
  
"I wish I could take you home, but my flat in London is very small. I would take you back to Steve's place, but the girls may not like you. I think you might scare them and Laura might not be happy with an animal in the house. She might think that you'd eat her owl. I can only give you some food right now" she explained to the dog.  
  
The rest of the walk was relatively quiet. As Reena walked to towards 385 Camelot Avenue, the dog stopped, as though he was dropping Reena off. Reena thought that this was strange behavior for a dog, but she decided not to analyze the way a dog should act.  
  
"Back so soon?" Steve pretended to ask his sister as she entered the house.  
  
"It was a beautiful night. Did I miss anything around here?"  
  
"No. Only the girls have gone to sleep and the Quidditch match is almost over."  
  
"It's only 9:30. How did you get the girls to go sleep so early? They were loaded with sugar and energy from the extended nap."  
  
"Basic sleeping potion" Laura said as she entered the room, "They were going to be up all night. Did you finish your work?" The question was directed to Reena.  
  
"Yeah. It's all done. I can relax now"  
  
"Listen to the rest of the match," Steve commanded his little sister. "You need to catch up on Quidditch. Jen was disappointed that you hadn't been following the season."  
  
"I thought that the summer was the off season"  
  
"Not in America. This game is between the Salem Snapdragons and the New Orleans Cajuns. Listen to the game and see if you can redeem yourself to Jen." 


	3. Chapter Three

Sunday morning was wet and gray. Reena packed her valise and put all her paperwork in her messenger bag. She had a dreamless night, thanks to one of Laura's fantastic potions.  
  
"Reena? Are you awake yet?" Laura asked as she knocked on the bedroom door.  
  
"Yeah, I'm up" was the quiet reply.  
  
"Do you want something from Diagon Alley? I have to pick up some potion ingredients and I'm taking Kate with me. You'll be alone for some time if you don't come with me."  
  
"Where's Steve and Jen?"  
  
"Steve's at his Quidditch league practice. It's all day on Sundays.Jen tagged along."  
  
"I'll stay here. I need to get some things from the village."  
  
"All right. When are you apparating home?"  
  
"Can I stay for dinner?"  
  
"Of course. It won't be anything special. I'll see you around 5 then. Bye"  
  
Reena stayed in bed until she heard the fire roaring and her niece and Laura were gone. Reena looked at her watch and saw it was nearly noon. She figured Laura had given her a combination of sleeping and dreamless potions. Reena had lied to Laura. She didn't have any shopping to do. The empty house gave Reena the perfect opportunity to look at some old photo albums.  
  
Steven Delton had inherited the old photo albums from his parents. A tall bookcase in the study held the old albums on the top shelf. Most of the albums were from Steve and Reena's childhood. Reena found an electric blue album and summoned it from the top shelf. The bright blue album held three years of photographs from family vacations. Some of the photos showed 3 young children who were arguing while their parents were trying to split them apart. Another picture (taken in front of the Sphinx) revealed a mother trying to coax her son into the photo.  
  
These pictures made Reena laugh, but they made her sad at the same time. Almost all the pictures were of Steve, Reena, their older sister Alise, and their parents. Only Reena and Steve had survived the Dark Times and were around to appreciate these old pictures.  
  
Reena suddenly closed the album and felt very strange. She walked out of the house and took another walk. It was raining, but Reena felt a need to get out of the house. As Reena walked on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, she spotted the large black dog. The dog also saw Reena and ran to her.  
  
"Hello dog. What are you doing out on a day like this?" Reena jokingly asked the dog.  
  
The dog grabbed a mouthful of Reena's robe and led her towards the mountains outside of the village. As the rain continued to pour, the dog led Reena up a mountain and into a shallow cave.  
  
"Thank you dog," Reena said, slightly surprised that the dog seemed to be trying to look after her.  
  
Reena conjured up a chicken sandwich and gave it to the dog. The dog reminded Reena of someone from her past so strongly, that she burst out in tears. The dog was taken aback, but snuggled close to Reena to comfort her.  
  
"I'm sorry. You remind me of someone I wish I could see right now," Reena apologige between racking sobs. "Mom, dad, Alise, Sirius, Lily, James, and Peter all left. Even the people who are still around avoid me. You know dog, you are the first thing that I've felt connected to in years. Now I may not be able to see you anymore because I have to go back home tonight and you'll probably go somewhere else."  
  
Reena was so distraught as the memory of lost friends and family came back that she did not hear a soft pop in the cave.  
  
"It's all right Reena. It's okay for you to cry," a deep voiced man comforted her as he stroked her thick black hair. "I won't leave you. I never wanted to, but I'm here right now."  
  
It took Reena almost 10 minutes to realize that the dog was no longer with her and a tall, lanky man with black hair was in its place.  
  
"Oh my God!" Reena gasped as the color drained from her face.  
  
"Don't be scared Reena. It's only me," the man said, trying not to startle her more than he already had.  
  
"Sirius, what are you doing here? Why are you here?" Reena questioned, her voice breaking from pure confusion.  
  
"Calm down Reena. I only wanted to see you again" Sirius said carefully.  
  
"You're an anigmus? You're not registered" Reena pointed out, dazed.  
  
"I know I'm not registered. That's how I got out of Azkaban," Sirius replied.  
  
Reena was overcome by a fresh wave of tears. She was sincerely praying that this was not another dream. She put her head on Sirius' shoulder and cried quietly. Reena's professional manner soon got the better of her and she tried to compose herself.  
  
"You don't have to put a façade on. It's all right to show emotion," Sirius said trying to comfort Reena. He was an old pro at that.  
  
"Do you know what I have been doing for the last 14 years?" Reena asked shakily.  
  
"Making your work your life. Trying to escape the past for starters," Sirius replied.  
  
"How do you know that?" Reena asked, thrown off guard.  
  
"I know you Reena. You don't love a person for years and then just forget about them when you're carted away. Did you know I've been trying find out as much as I could about you after I escaped?"  
  
"I didn't hear from you after you got out. I didn't know what to think. I concluded that it was your way of saying that you didn't want to see me anymore,"  
  
"I can't hurt you like that," Sirius said gently.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Reena asked the question quickly because she was ashamed that she had doubted Sirius for the slightest second.  
  
"Only if it's chicken sandwiches and pumpkin juice," Sirius said with a grin. The two of them sat in relative silence as Sirius ate the sandwiches.  
  
"I didn't owl you because I didn't want to get you into trouble if it was intercepted. You don't need me to cause you any more trouble," Sirius commented seriously.  
  
"I understand," Reena responded. "What are you going to do now?"  
  
"Pray that you don't turn me in" Sirius joked. Seeing the horrified look on Reena's face, he hastily added, "I know you would never do that. I actually have responsibilities to tend to now that I'm out of prison. On top of that, I have to keep ahead of the dementors and aurors."  
  
"I don't think the dementors will be a problem for you in a little while. I'm trying to get them replace," Reena informed the jaw-dropped Sirius.  
  
"How? They're very powerful" he reminded her.  
  
"Have you really been following what I do? I'm in the ministry cabinet" Reena told Sirius.  
  
Sirius, of course, knew that Reena was one of the members of the Ministry Cabinet. He was not aware that she could have the power to remove the dementors if she convinced her colleagues enough. As he thought of the prospect of not having to run from the dementors, he looked out of the opening of the cave.  
  
"Do you have a watch Reena? It looks like it's getting late," Sirius observed.  
  
'Oh God! It's almost 8. Steve is going to kill me!"  
  
"Is he still the always overprotective brother?"  
  
"Yep, that's Steve"  
  
"Come on, I'll walk you back to his house"  
  
With a small pop, Sirius became a big black dog. It had stopped raining and the warm June evening was surrounded with the sound of crickets and the freshness that the rain gives. As they reached Steve and Laura's house, Sirius (in his dog form) stood at the end of the walkway and watched Reena enter the house. Reena entered the house and walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Steve's in the study," Laura said quietly, "He wants to talk to you."  
  
Reena strolled into the study. Steve was sitting behind the desk flipping through the electric blue album.  
  
"Hey Reena" he said softly.  
  
"Hi Ste. What's up?" Reena asked, hoping he wouldn't be angry.  
  
"Where'd you go?" he asked, in the same gentle voice.  
  
Reena hesitated for a minute before answering his question.  
  
"I had to get some fresh air. I thought I could handle going into the past."  
  
"I'm guessing your 'trip into the past' didn't go very well."  
  
"You guessed right. I needed some time alone."  
  
"Are you all right now?" Steve asked, concerned about his sister.  
  
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking."  
  
"If you're hungry, Laura can conjure something up."  
  
Steve said the last sentence very faintly as he returned to looking at the photographs. Reena knew her brother rarely looked at the old pictures. The difference between the siblings was that when she looked at the photographs, she cried. When he looked at the photographs, he simply forgot that the present existed.  
  
An hour later, Reena said good bye to her family and apparated back to her London flat. She went to bed feeling happier than she had in a long time and wished that this certain feeling could last forever.  
  
Tell me what you think!!! 


	4. Chapter 4

Precisely at 7am Monday morning, Reena apparrated into the Ministry offices. She knocked on the door of her supervisor, Mr. P. Julius.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Delton here. May I come in?"  
  
"Of course. Enter"  
  
The door swung open and Reena entered the office.  
  
"I'm done with the audit of the Department of the Control of Magical creatures." "Already?" Julius' voice was full of surprise, "that's not due until Wednesday."  
  
"I know" Reena replied curtly, "I had time over the weekend to finish it. I'm ready for my next assignment."  
  
"You may be ready, but I am not. This is the first time anyone has turned in an assignment this early. On top of this, you were already ahead of schedule."  
  
"Does this mean I can continue to work on my campaign against the dementors?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. There is going to be a meeting on Thursday to discuss possible replacements and some other top issues. You can give your ideas out at that meeting."  
  
"What am I to do until Thursday?" Reena asked, her voice hinting annoyance.  
  
"If I may Delton, you look ill. I suggest you take a short vacation until Thursday. There's no point in you hanging around the office if you have nothing to do. There is a quiet inn in the Black Forest in Germany. It's quite safe and there are plenty of Muggle repellents around it. I think you might like it there."  
  
"Are you serious?" Reena gasped. The idea of taking a vacation while the office was still open was a foreign idea to her.  
  
"Yes Delton, I am serious, You look like a vampire and you will drive the rest of us crazy if you don't leave for a short vacation."  
  
"I just spent the weekend in Hogsmeade. I need to go back to work."  
  
"It couldn't have been much of a vacation if you were working on the audit. The name of the inn is The Haversbourg Inn. Have a nice holiday."  
  
Reena went back to her own office and called in her assistant.  
  
"Maggie, do you think I need a vacation?'  
  
"Are you kidding? Julius just sent the entire cabinet staff memos saying we need you to go on a holiday. So to answer your question, yes."  
  
"Fine," Reena snapped, "I'm gone." And within the blink of an eye, Reena left the office.  
  
Reena had gone back to her flat. She threw some clothes into her valise and packed some files into her messenger bag. Not even Mr. P. Julius could stop Reena from trying to work on a cause that was near and dear to her. A few minutes later, Reena apparated inside a tiny inn.  
  
The change of pace and environment took hold of Reena almost immediately. The plump witch who ran the inn acted like a worried mother.  
  
"You must not work," She told Reena, "You must go outside in the sunshine," Madame Tatyna kindly, yet forcefully instructed.  
  
Late in the afternoon, Reena awoke from a nap she was taking in a hammock outside. To her left, she saw an enormous black dog looking up at her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She whispered to the dog, "You might get caught."  
  
The dog gave Reena a pleading look, as if he wanted to talk.  
  
"I'll meet you tonight after dark," Reena told the dog.  
  
Reena watched the dog retreat into the depths of the forest. She continued to swing in the hammock until Madame Tatyna called her in for dinner.  
  
After dinner, Reena asked Madame Tatyna if there were any Muggle nightclubs around. Madame Tatyna laughed and replied that the closest Muggle village was miles away and the biggest attraction in it was a pub. Nevertheless, Reena pretended to be interested in the pub and told Madame Tatyna that was where she was going to go. Before She even stepped out of the room, the older witch warned Reena that the Forest was dangerous and filled with hags, vampires, banshees, and other magical creatures of ill repute. She was also warned that if she apparated to the village, she better have good direction and not get lost.  
  
Reena apparated from the lobby of the inn and reappeared a few yards from the back of the building. A black dog was waiting and Reena followed it. After they were well hidden by the trees in the Forest, the black dog transformed into Sirius.  
  
"How did you know I was going to be here?" Reena asked Sirius as they found a log to sit on.  
  
"I didn't. I hide out here sometimes because the inn has the tastiest scrapes. I must say, I am surprised to find you here."  
  
"I'm surprised to find myself here. My supervisor was forcing me to go on holiday. I'm here until Wednesday."  
  
"Then I'll stay till Wednesday," Sirius responded with a foolish grin on his face.  
  
The next few hours were the best Reena had had since Sirius had been arrested. They talked, joked, laughed, and found out what the other was up to.  
  
"You know the Death Eaters are rising again," Sirius said suddenly.  
  
"I'm aware of it, but that fool Fudge won't acknowledge it. All he wants is to show the world that his term was free of threats from the Death Eaters and Voldemort. He won't even let the Cabinet investigate wizards who had been indicated to be involved with Death Eating activities."  
  
Reena's voice was full of bitterness. She liked her job, but hated the restrictions that Fudge imposed on the Cabinet so that he could give himself a great image. Reena had personal issues with Fudge too. He was the only obstacle that kept Sirius from his freedom. They were silent for a long time. It had been nearly 14 years since Reena and Sirius had seen each other. The shock that they could even speak to one another had not worn off.  
  
Sirius had a question to ask Reena, but he wasn't sure which angle to approach it from. He decided at the last minute not to beat around the bush. Well, not do too much beating.  
  
"Reena, why are you helping me?" He asked in a serious tone of voice.  
  
"Do you have to ask Mr. Black?" She answered in a slightly harsh voice.  
  
Sirius mentally winced. He didn't want to break any of the bonds he had with Reena over a silly question.  
  
"I think you misunderstood me. I really want to know is, if you're.. Well, do you still love me?" Sirius asked hoping he didn't sound like a fool.  
  
"Did you ever doubt me? The last thing you ever said to me was that you'd always love me. They took you away before I could tell you the same thing." Reena's voice grew higher in pitch as she continued to talk.  
  
Reena stopped talking because she was afraid that she would start crying if she continued. Sirius had always known that she loved him. He didn't know why he had to make her upset and flat out ask about it. As they sat there in forest, surrounded by the dim light provided by Reena's wand tip, Sirius saw the thin silver ring on her 4th finger. The ring had been a secret that only he and Reena knew about.  
  
They sat in silence for a long time afterwards. Reena and Sirius had been very good at communicating to each other. However, they had a hard time to bring themselves to speak to each other about their closest feelings. This led them to discover that they could communicate to each other without ever having to say anything. They would simply look at one another and knew what the other was thinking. As they sat in the Forest, the looked at each other and knew that they were still engaged. *  
  
~ please review 


	5. Chapter 5

Reena woke up late the next morning feeling more refreshed than she had in many, many years. It was another beautiful day outside, which heightened Reena's feeling of euphoria. After brunch, Madame Tatyna introduced Reena to her daughter Katia.  
  
Katia was a chaser on the regional Quidditch team. Madame Tatyna proudly informed Reena that Katia was favored for the German team in the next Quidditch world cup. It was the off season and Katia had come to help her mother with the inn. She was not used to having witches under the age of 60 stay at her mother's inn.  
  
"Do you rid?" Katia asked?  
  
"Sometimes. I haven't been on a broomstick for quite some time." Reena replied.  
  
"The riding in the Forest will be good practice for you," was Katia's commanding response.  
  
Katia lent Reena one of her old brooms, a Wanderstrum 360. The broom was very cooperative and Reena had no problem riding it. Flying in the Forest was quite a challenge. Complete control of the broom was critical to avoid falling off. The higher you rode, the more branches and leaves there were to avoid. The lower you rode the mores rock structures and tree stumps there were to avoid. Katia had learned to fly in the Forest, so she was quite used to changing direction on a whim. Reena was not so fortunate and was constantly being whipped by branches and flying leaves.  
  
"I thought the Forest was supposed to be very dangerous,' Reena commented as she and Katia were taking a break.  
  
"That's a common misconception. Only at night or if you are alone and without a wand," Katia said, as if it were a well-known fact.  
  
The mounted their brooms again and went back to flying. As they zoomed around, Reena noticed a heap of black fur lying in a patch of sunlight. Reena smiled happily to herself as she followed Katia back to the inn. Back at the inn, Madame Tatyna and her daughter had work to tend to. Reena took advantage of the time and took her messenger bag out on the verandah. Reena gave herself the task of organizing her papers into a presentation for Thursday's meeting. She continued to work until Katia came outside to tell her that dinner was being served in the dining room.  
  
That night, Reena went outside, expecting to find the big black dog. There was nobody outside. Reena waited for nearly an hour in the dark. She knew that Sirius would not show up, so she went inside. Working was the only way Reena knew how to keep her mind off of her feelings, so she dove back into preparing for her presentation. [a few hours later]  
  
"Reena, wake up. I need to talk to you," a low whisper said, trying to shake Reena awake.  
  
"What?" Reena mumbled sleepily.  
  
"Get up Reena, I don't have much time. This is an urgent matter," Sirius pleaded with his sleeping beauty.  
  
Reena's slumber quickly wore off as Sirius grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her very hard.  
  
"I'm up, I'm up," Reena said, her annoyed voice quite forceful, "Lumos."  
  
Sirius stood next to her bed, looking quite worried.  
  
"I need to write a letter. Do you have a quill and parchment?" he asked.  
  
"Over there," Reena answered, pointing to her bag on the desk next to the window. "Who are you writing to?"  
  
"Harry" was the quick reply.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I have to go away. I'm writing to tell him to contact you if he needs help."  
  
As Sirius quickly penned the letter, he thought he should apologize to Reena.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you this evening," he started, "There were some dementors floating around in the Forest. I had to get out of here as soon as possible."  
  
"It's okay. You have to do the stuff that will save you," Reena said softly.  
  
Sirius finished his letter and gave it to Reena.  
  
"I need you to hand deliver it. Make sure Harry reads it while you are present. He needs to know who you are," Sirius instructed.  
  
"No he doesn't," Reena protested, "I don't think he wants more people from his past suddenly coming to him from out of nowhere."  
  
"You have to do this. He's not a child. He will understand you are a friend. Make sure you deliver it at night. His aunt and uncle are not keen on our kind. They wouldn't take kindly to finding one of James and Lily's friends popping into their house." Sirius glanced at his watch. "I have to go now. I'm not telling you where I'm going in case you are questioned. One more thing, my code name is Snuffles."  
  
Sirius stood up and quickly kissed Reena before dissapparating. Reena went back bed, slightly surprised to find that Sirius hadn't lost his spontaneous side. She also began thinking about a time when visiting Harry wasn't so secretive or emotionally difficult.  
  
  
  
~please review this!!!! 


	6. Chapter 6

Reena left the inn early Wednesday morning. She spent the rest of the morning cleaning her flat and putting the last touches on her presentation. She apparated to Diagon Alley after lunch to pick up a few things before rushing back home to finish her laundry.  
  
Around 1:30 am, Reena dissapparated from her London flat and reappeared in the smallest bedroom on 4 Privet Drive. She saw Harry was fast asleep nest to a half-written essay. Reena gently tried to awake him so she would not startle the teen.  
  
Harry was a light sleeper and was startled by the person trying to wake him up at 1:30 in the morning. At first he thought a child was trying to wake him up.  
  
"Shhhh. Please don't make too much noise. I have a letter for you," Reena said softly.  
  
Harry put on his glasses and found a short, black-haired witch next to his bed.  
  
"Who are you?" he demanded without raising his voice.  
  
Poor kid, Reena thought. He probably was not used to having people pop in and out of his bedroom at odd hours of the night.  
  
"It's a letter from Snuffles," she said, handing him the letter.  
  
Dear Harry, I hope your summer has been safe thus far and your relatives are not giving you too much trouble. The witch who gave you this letter is a good friend of mine. Her name is Reena Delton. If you need any help, write to her immediately. I have to go further away and she will be able to come to you much quicker than I can. Watch out for suspicious activities. -Sirius.  
  
"You're Reena?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes. Snuffles is a very close of mine," Reena said, "I'm sorry I woke you up, but I head to come at a time when you're aunt and uncle would not be awake. Before I to, let me give you something."  
  
Reena handed Harry a package decorated with colorful ribbons.  
  
"I know your birthday isn't for another few weeks, but I don't think I will see you then. So Happy 15th."  
  
Reena dissapparated before Harry could say anything. Harry was puzzled for a few minutes to what exactly had just taken place. He went back to sleep before he could make any sense of what had just happened.  
  
The only clue that a witch named Reena had been at 4 Privet Drive was Sirius' letter and a package. Harry was still not sure if he could trust Reena. For all he knew, the letter could be a hoax and whatever was in the package could be a portkey to Voldemort. Harry wrote a letter to see if he could get any information on this Reena-women.  
  
Dear Ron, Do you know a witch named Reena Delton? DO you think you could find out who she is without being to obvious? Thanks -Harry  
  
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	7. Chapter 7

The 23 members of the Ministry of Magic Cabinet were present for the important meeting. Also in attendance was Albus Dumbledore. Absent from the meeting was the minister himself, Cornelius Fudge. Dumbledore started the meeting.  
  
"This meeting has been arranged so that we address the issue of Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. Everybody in this room and a small group of others are the only ones who are choosing to acknowledge that Voldemort is becoming more powerful. Not Even Fudge is recognizing the fact that the Dark Times may return if we do not act soon. Some of you have presentations to give pertaining to the Voldemort issue. Please let's begin with Miss Delton."  
  
Dumbledore's voice was grave and his eyes had no twinkle. Reena walked to the front of the room. She took a deep breath and scanned the room. By far, she was the youngest person in the room and one of 2 females. She hoped the cabinet would take her seriously.  
  
"The issue I wish to speak of is about the dementors. The guards of Azakaban have dark origins and were known to be in league with the Death Eaters. Their only objective is to align themselves with those in power. It is a well-known fact that the mass majority of dementors followed Voldemort during his reign of terror. As Voldemort is re-ascending into power, the dementors must be closely watched. An intelligence report filed by auror Timothy Kitchener 2 weeks ago shows that dementors have been gathering in unusually large numbers. His report alos notes that the last time the frequencies of these dementor meetings were at the height of the Dark Lord's power. I come before you, my colleagues in the Cabinet, to ask you to reconsider the guards of Azkaban."  
  
Reena finished the main part of her speech and mentally prepared herself for questions. The first hand she saw was of her superior, Mr. Julius.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Julius."  
  
"The guards of Azkaban have done a good job thus far. With the exception of Sirius Black, there have been no escapees. Who do you suggest take over from the dementors?"  
  
"Thank you for the question. I'm aware that is what many of you were thinking about. I propose that we hand over Azkaban to the goblins. Their history has shown they are very good at guarding things. I believe they are the best alternative to the dementors. Their guarding magic has proven most useful at Gringotts."  
  
Edius Pfeffer raised his hand.  
  
"What about goblin rebellions?"  
  
"I don't think rebellions will be a problem. The last rebellion was over 40 years ago. The magical world has greatly improved their relations with the goblins. It is also vital that we let them know we value them as our allies against dark magic."  
  
Heads were nodding in agreement with Reena. She stepped down from the raised platform and took her seat. The rest of the meeting was spent discussing the best was to try and keep the relative calm and peace while trying to fight the dark side. *  
  
After spending the morning weeding Aunt Petunia's flower beds, Harry ran to his bedroom and found the photo album Hagrid had given him. Harry flipped through the pages quickly. He stopped at a rare photo of 2 people who were posing to have their picture taken. Harry saw it was a picture of Sirius with his arm around a very beautiful woman. Harry studied the woman in the picture. To start off with, she was very short. The top of her head was slightly below Sirius' shoulder. She looked slightly younger than Sirius. Harry knew that this woman was Reena only because she looked exactly the same when she visited Harry. Harry then studied Sirius' face. It was impossible for him to say if Sirius looked the same as he did in this photo. Every time Harry saw Sirius, his appearance changed depending if had enough to eat, the condition of his hair, or how worried his expression was.  
  
"Harry!!! Get down here now. You haven't finished your work," a screechy voice called from downstairs.  
  
Harry slammed the photo album shut and ran downstairs, still wondering how Reena and her old photograph could look almost exactly the same. He spent the rest of the afternoon doing laborious yard work while Dudley watched and made fun of him. When Harry went to his bedroom after a cheese sandwich dinner, he found a letter on his from Ron.  
  
Dear Harry, I found enough of Reena Delton's accomplishments from Percy to last me a lifetime. She's in the Daily Prophet enough that I know she works for the Ministry Cabinet. Here are some general facts about her that I got from Perce. She is a ministry Cabinet Member who is well known for her anti-dementor campaigns. She is also the youngest person to be on the Cabinet. She entered the Cabinet when she was 27. She was an assistant (just like Percy) after she graduated from Hogwarts. She was personal assistant to the Head of the Department of Treasury. She has a "work-aholic" reputation around the Ministry. Here's the big one. She was Sirius Black's girlfriend when he was arrested. A lot of people thought she was involved with the Death Eaters, but she voluntarily took Verteserum to be questioned. The interrogators found out that she had no involvement with the Death Eaters and that she didn't think that Black did either.  
  
Anyway, have a good summer holiday. Don't be surprised if we drop by later next month. ~Ron  
  
Harry sat on his bed, wondering for a long time why Sirius would trust any one from the Ministry, even if is was his old girlfriend. 


	8. Chapter 8

As the meeting ended and people were slowly filtered out of conference room, Reena quickly went back to her own office. Maggie had sorted her mail while she was gone and now Reena had to sort through what was left of it. Most of the letters were from member of the Department of Control of Magical Creatures asking how the audit had gone. Maggie walked in the office, holding a very decorative piece of card stock.  
  
"There's a dinner tonight," Maggie said, her voice filled with sympathy.  
  
Reena groaned. She hated work dinners. They were supposed to serve as a time when could complete work in a social-friendly environment. However, most people attended so that they could just get drunk. Yet appearances were necessary in the slim chance that something important was discussed and decided. The printed invitation said that guests should arrive at 7:30. Reena decided to go home at 7, then go to the dinner.  
  
At 7 on the dot, Reena left the office. At her flat, she made some toast and relished every bite. She knew dinner would be served late and did not want to be put in a social situation being hungry. She then decided to change her robes. To work, Reena always wore black robes over a pantsuit. She kept her pantsuit on, but was having a hard time deciding between the dark gray and dark blue robes. She put away blue the one. As she slipped the dark ash colored robe on, she heard a voice from behind her.  
  
"I don't think that one looks as nice as some of the others."  
  
Reena spun around to find Sirius sitting on the edge of the bed. He stood up, walked to the closet, and started looking through it.  
  
"Jesus Christ! Do you have anything in here besides black, dark blue, and gray?"  
  
"I don't know, but I suppose you're going to find our for me."  
  
Sirius found a light purple dress that had been pushed to the very back of the closet. He took it out and showed it to Reena.  
  
"Do you remember this one?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I do. Sirius, what are you doing here?" she asked in return.  
  
"I need a place to stay. I thought this was the best place," he answered.  
  
"This is still your place," she stated, "I can't stay right now. I have to go to a bloody office dinner."  
  
"That's okay. I can only crash for a couple of days max," he said.  
  
While Reena did her hair, Sirius walked around the tiny flat. He saw that little had changed from it since he was arrested. He smiled at the photograph Reena had put on the wall when she first moved in. It was taken at Reena's graduation. They smiled and waved while people strolled around in the background. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He found lots of plastic containers with food. Any Muggle could have walked into the flat and thought the only strange thing about it was that there was a moving photograph. Reena and Sirius didn't mind appearing to be Muggles to all their neighbors, doing that was the only way to ensure their privacy. It also allowed Sirius to integrate better with Muggles when he worked as an auror. He knew Reena could cook much better the Muggle way then conjuring food, and wanted to taste her recent creations. He popped a container labeled "stir fry" into the microwave and waited for it. Reena walked into the kitchen.  
  
"I really have to go now. I hope I can be back before 11," she said.  
  
"Okay. Thanks for letting me stay," he said very thankfully.  
  
"It is still your home," she said before disapparating.  
  
Sirius ate the stir-fry quietly. He found a pair of scissors, cut his hair, and carefully swept up the clippings. Sirius wanted to change into some clean clothes, but he wasn't sure if Reena had kept his things. He strolled into the bedroom and opened some drawers in the bureau. Sure enough, he found his clothes, just as he had left them years ago. He found his favorite pair of pajamas and took them to change into after a shower. He was aware that the building was home to a few other wizards, so he tried to keep his noise and movement down to a minimum.  
  
* Reena found an empty corner and sat down. She hated these parties and would have much rather been at home.  
  
"Is anyone sitting here?" a voice asked Reena in the middle of her thoughts. Reena looked up to see Remus Lupin.  
  
It's just me in the corner," Reena said as Remus pulled up a chair.  
  
Reena hadn't seen Remus very often in the last 14 years. Although the 2 had been friends at school, but they had kept their distance from each other after Sirius' imprisonment. Reena had wanted to forget the past and Remus needed time and space to pick up the pieces of his shattered world. The awkwardness that they felt with each other after Sirius had gone to Azkaban had faded with time.  
  
"How are you?" Remus asked as he sat down.  
  
"Very well thanks. What are you doing here?" Reena answered and asked.  
  
"Favor to Dumbledore. I've joined LAV, League against Voldmort," he answered.  
  
"Really? I'm working on something similar at work," she said.  
  
"Dumbledore said we had the Cabinet's support, so I guess that means you're also part of LAV. Do you know what you're working on?" he said enthusiastically.  
  
"I have no idea. You?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
Their conversation continued through the evening and dinner. The 2 of them sat together, isolated from the rest of the guests. After they had finished dinner, Remus directed the conversation away from work.  
  
"I've had contact with Sirius," he said quietly.  
  
"So have I," she said, much to Remus' surprise.  
  
"When?" he asked, trying to keep the surprise out of his voice.  
  
"Recently," she answered.  
  
"You know he is innocent. Our first mission should be to clear his name and find who really betrayed Lily and James," he said, his voice unusually hard at the second part of the mission.  
  
"I know he didn't do it. The trouble is trying to convince everyone else. In order to clear his name, we have to find the real culprit. Fudge and the Daily Prophet went out of their way to convince the entire wizarding population that Sirius did it," she said bitterly.  
  
I know. But I also know who betrayed them. And that person is nursing You- know-who back to health. I need your help to find that person," he explained.  
  
"Of course I'll help you. But how do I start? I don't even know who I'm supposed to be looking for," She said.  
  
"Don't worry about who you are trying to look for. You'll find out in due time. We'll figure a way to get Sirius' name cleared. "  
  
The party ended as the witches and wizards began leaving around 10:30. Reena was one of first to leave. The apartment was dead silent when she came home. All the lights were turned of and there was no sign that Sirius was even there. Reena tiptoed into the bedroom to find Sirius fast asleep in bed. Reena smiled to herself and got ready for bed. She slowly drifted to sleep to Sirius' soft breathing.  
  
I'd love to know what you think. 


	9. Chapter 9

Reena awoke very early the next morning with a feeling of pure happiness. Her happiness quickly faded when she saw that no one was next to her. She started getting ready for work when she heard noises from the kitchen. She cautiously walked in. Sirius was standing over the stove with a pan in his hand.  
  
"Morning love," he said as he flipped something in the pan.  
  
"Morning. What are you making?" Reena asked curiously, yet cheerful that someone was making her breakfast on a workday.  
  
"Grilled cheese," he answered, serving it on a plate.  
  
"For breakfast?!"  
  
"I can't cook that well. Besides, you and I don't like eggs, and you need a good breakfast before work."  
  
"I usually settle for a cup of coffee."  
  
"No wonder you look like a skeleton. You need to eat more."  
  
"I can handle grilled cheese," Reena giggled as they ate.  
  
"I saw Remus last night," Reena said as they finished up.  
  
"Did he tell you I've met with him?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Yes. I told him the same thing," she volunteered.  
  
"Good. Keep communications open with him. If Peter Pettigrew comes to you, keep him in custody," Sirius warned.  
  
"Peter? Peter's dead," Reena countered.  
  
"No he's not," Sirius said forcefully. "You want to know who killed your best friend? He did and he's still out there with his loyalties to Voldemort," Sirius said, his voice seething with anger.  
  
Reena sat, stunned with the news. She hadn't really like Peter very well, but she didn't think that he could have actually handed Lily and James to their demise. The gears in Reena's head were clicking away. All of a sudden, everything Remus had said the night before made sense. Yet she still was stunned with what she had just heard. Sirius sensed the confusion within Reena and did not continue until he felt his anger was under control.  
  
"I have to go to work," Reena said, her voice void of feeling or emotion.  
  
"Are you going to be okay?" Sirius asked, realizing that the revelation may not have gone down well with Reena.  
  
"I'm fine," she snapped, "I'm going to be late for work if I don't leave now." Within an instant, she apparated out of the apartment.  
  
Alone in the apartment, Sirius felt like beating himself up. He knew that Reena had been through hell when practically everyone around her had died (or gone to Azkaban). The last thing she needed was her fiancé popping up after 14 years and the memory of her best friend's death. As he washed the breakfast dishes, he wondered how many years he had set her emotionally back.  
  
At work, Reena tried to forget the exchange between her and Sirius. She was desperately praying that Mr. Julius would have a new assignment for her. Sure enough, on her desk, there was a memo from Mr. Julius asking to meet her.  
  
"Do you have a new assignment for me?" Reena asked anxiously.  
  
"I don't. You are not going to be under my jurisdiction for sometime. Professor Dumbledore has specifically asked that you work with LAV. You'll be taking your assignments from him," Julius esplained.  
  
"When do I get my next assignment?" she asked.  
  
"There's a meeting at Hogwarts in 30 minutes. Apparate to the train station at Hogsmeade. Some one will pick you up."  
  
Reena apparated to the train station immeadiately after her conversation from Julius. She was surprised to find Remus as the only soul on the deserted platform.  
  
"Hello Reena," Remus warmly greeted her.  
  
"Are we waiting for anybody else?" she asked.  
  
"Nope. The others came early for breakfast. Dumbledore thought you would have preferred to eat at home this morning," Remus said with a knowing smile.  
  
"Do you know who else is going to be at this meeting? She asked.  
  
"The Cabinet, Arabella Figg, a few aurors, and a few other people," he answered as they walked towards the castle.  
  
The meeting was held in a classroom, being that the school was on summer holiday. As Professor Dumbledore started the meeting, Reena couldn't help noticing a large black dog sitting behind the desk at the head of classroom.  
  
" . . . A way we can succeed is if we are able to catch the Death Eaters in motion. We must have our aurors detain some Death Eaters, then have certain individuals take their places via the Polyjuice Potion. We must be careful though that we detain the Death Eaters on credible evidence that they can see. We must also follow the law and not break long-standing rules simply for our own ease. This is not an easy challenge we have accepted, and we must do it within the letter of the law so that we do not sink down to the level of oppressors," Dumbledore summed up. The wizards and witches in the room nodded and few gave vocal approval. Professor Dumbledore was not finished yet.  
  
"On a side note, we need to clear the name of Sirius Black." There were gasps all around the room, but they let Dumbledore continue. "The man's innocent. He has been framed for the crimes of Peter Pettigrew, who is still alive. Mr. Pettigrew is one our most dangerous wizards, for he is nursing Voldemort to health and has a secret weapon. Peter is an anigmus who turns into a rat. His mark is that he is missing one toe/finger. Other than that, Pettigrew can otherwise be called a dolt. However, the Death Eaters were able to conceal him and Voldemort for sometime without using the Fidelious Charm. "  
  
A Cabinet member, Mr. Davey Pahlotnius, stood to speak.  
  
"How do we know that Sirius Black is innocent? You yourself said that Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters. Peter Pettigrew is also dead, we gave him an Order of Merlin. He's one of our heroes."  
  
Remus stood to answer the question.  
  
"I saw Peter my self when I taught here almost 2 years ago. He also abducted Harry Potter at the Triwizard Tournament last month. Peter may appear to be an idiot, but he is a loyal servant to Voldemort."  
  
The members of LAV began talking amongst themselves. There were angry voices and shouting began to erupt. It became clear to Reena that even her colleagues did not want to admit they had been wrong. She knew the only way that they would believe Dumbledore is if they could produce Peter Pettigrew alive.  
  
Arabella Figg took hold of the noise and the people began to break into groups. In the groups, tasks were drawn up to fight the dark magic do- ers. A pair of aurors approached Reena and asked her if she could help them track any Death Eaters who may currently hold Ministry jobs. Reena agreed because she had more access to audits and background checks to employees of the Ministry. Every body regrouped and explained what they were going to do. Remus took notes so they would have points of references when they met again.  
  
As the other members of LAV left, Reena and Remus hung back with Dumbledore. When everyone was gone, Sirius transformed into his human form.  
  
"I'm sorry Sirius, I tried to convince them, but they're a stubborn bunch," Dumbledore apologized.  
  
"I know," he stated simply. "How do you all work with such a bunch of dunderheads?"  
  
"With patience," Reena said under her breath.  
  
"I think your old colleague wanted to believe Professor Dumbledore," Remus said, referring to the group of aurors who had been at the meeting.  
  
Reena sensed the mixture of anger and disappointment within Sirius and directed the conversation away from him.  
  
"What about Harry?" she asked.  
  
"He will remain at his aunt and uncle's for the next 5 weeks until his holiday is over. I'm confident that he will also be safe here when the school term starts," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Can we visit him?" Remus asked.  
  
"I wouldn't suggest it, but I think he may need some contact from you three. He was very shaken when he went home. I don't think meeting Voldemort could have been very good for him," Dumbledore answered.  
  
  
  
  
  
~I love reviews! 


	10. Chapter 10

Reena went back to work, trying to find some old Death Eaters. Her hard work only resulted in a few names of people who were acting suspiciously. Most of her time was spent trying to read in-between the lines of their background files.  
  
At their small flat, Sirius was making dinner and he wanted everything to be perfect. He found some candles in the bathroom and put them on the already set table. He was still trying to get used to normal life without the aid of a wand. He towered over the stove, trying to get the spice mixture for the tomato sauce perfect and making sure the spaghetti did not get overcooked.  
  
When Reena apparated back into her flat, she was surprised to see a set table with lit candles. She hadn't been sure whether or not to expect Sirius.  
  
"Hi Reena," Sirius ssaid cheerfully as she put the spaghetti and sauce on the table.  
  
"What's this?" she asked as Sirius pulled out her chair for her.  
  
Sirius took a deep breath and plunged into his practiced apology.  
  
"I'm sorry for my behavior this morning. I could have told you about Peter in a different manner. I know that it couldn't have been good for you finding information about that so suddenly."  
  
Reena was thrown off guard by the dinner and apology. She just gave Sirius a hug and whispered in his ear,  
  
"I'm just happy you're still here."  
  
Sirius looked down into her honey colored eyes, trying to peer inside her soul.  
  
"You know I could leave you, right?"  
  
"I wasn't sure. Azkaban changes people, and I'm not sure how it exactly changed you."  
  
"Azkaban made me despise Peter, it made me want to protect Harry from Peter, and it made me miss you like crazy. I'd only leave right now if I had to stay ahead of some aurors or if you asked me to."  
  
They both knew that Reena would never ask him to leave, so they sat down to dinner. After dinner, Reena cleaned up everything with the flick of her wand.  
  
"I would take you out for dancing, but you know the present circumstances," Sirius said.  
  
"We'll dance here then," Reena said enthusiastically.  
  
They found a jazz station on the radio and danced in the living room. They were careful not to bump into the sofa or the dining table in the small area. A slow rhythm came on and Reena rested her head on Sirius' chest as they swayed in tune with the music.  
  
[Flashback]  
  
When Reena first arrived at Hogwarts, she hated it. All the girls in her year were horrible creatures. Reena spent most of her time in the library, trying to avoid her classmates and her 4th year brother. Steven was always trying to get her to get along with the other students in her year, and Reena hated him for doing it.  
  
A few months after school started, Reena had met Lily Evans, a 3rd year student in her house. Lily noticed Reena was always alone, and decided to try and be friends with her. The 2 girls were surprised how much they had in common and became close friends very quickly. Becoming friends with Lily meant becoming friends with James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. It also meant putting up with Peter Pettigrew.  
  
The Mauauderers were happily surprised by Reena. She had a mischievous streak and was always delighted to help them pull off pranks. Reena and Sirius had been great friends since they met, so it not much of a surprise to anybody when he asked Reena out in her 4th year (his 6th). Steve Delton was not thrilled with the couple. He had threatened Sirius on several occasions that if his sister was hurt in anyway, he would slowly disembowel Sirius by hand. Reena and Sirius put up with Steve until he graduated at the end of the school year.  
  
Shortly after Christmas in her 5th year, Reena received an owl that her older sister Alise, a young auror, had been killed by a group of Death Eaters. Reena was devastated. When she came back to school after the funeral, Sirius only left her side during classes and when she went to sleep at night  
  
When summer came and Sirius graduated, the 2 were still very close. They had formed a tight bond during the months Reena was depressed over his sister's death. Sirius was constantly popping into the Delton household to whisk Reena away to visit friends, out on dates, or simply to get out of the house. The summer was most memorable for James and Lily's wedding. Sirius had been best man and Reena the maid of honor. Many people were surprised that Reena and Sirius were still going out after he had graduated, but the 2 of them couldn't care less of what people thought.  
  
The school year began and Reena saw less of Sirius. However, they were in daily contact via owl post. Sometimes in the middle of night, Sirius would project himself into the common room fire where Reena waited. They saw each other most often on her weekend visits to Hogsmeade.  
  
Reena's 7th year was probably her worst. In early October, she had been called down to Professor Dumbledore's office. She was surprised to see Steven in the office with the professor. It was there that she found out that her parents had been murdered. She left school for a week to attend the funeral and for some time away from school. Sirius had found out about the Delton's and rushed to be with Reena. Once again, he rarely left her side for the time she stayed at home. Steven was annoyed by his presence, but observed how much Reena really needed Sirius.  
  
When she returned to school, she threw herself into her schoolwork, thus starting her habit of avoiding her feelings. Her efforts paid off at graduation. She was top of her class and offered the highest paying job in the entire graduating class.  
  
Steve and Sirius both attended Reena's commencement. It was a bittersweet affair for Reena. She wanted her parents to witness her graduation, just as they had done for Alise and Steven. She was happy at the same time to finish her schooling and jump into the real world.  
  
After the commencement ceremonies, Steven ran into some of his school friends, so Sirius too Reena out by the lake. They sat quietly together when Sirius handed Reena a small box. She opened and found "Will you marry me?" written inside the lid and a thin silver ring inside the box. She looked into Sirius' pleading eyes and was only able to manage a soft "yes" as tears ran silently down her cheeks. Sirius took the ring out of the box, and before he put it on her finger, he held it at an angle so she could see the inside band. Gracefully etched on the inside of the ring was a message. I will always love Reena ~ Sirius. He put the ring on her finger and kissed her.  
  
Not even 10 minutes after he proposed to her, Sirius had another question for Reena.  
  
"Reena, will you move in with me?"  
  
Reena did not know what to say. She remained silent until she could find a suitable answer.  
  
"I don't know. What will I tell Steve?"  
  
"I'll tell him. Don't worry what he'll say. I don't want to push you, but I hate not seeing you everyday."  
  
"I want to move in with you. It's just really sudden, you know?"  
  
"I know. But we could start a life together. We could save up, then have a great wedding. Everything the way you want it. My flat is really small, but it's nice. There are a couple of wizards in the building, but it's mostly Muggle."  
  
Deep in her heart, Reena did not want to go back home. It held to many memories, and she felt she needed space from Steve. She went to her dorm to finish packing. She was closing her last lock when Steven stormed in, followed by Sirius. All the other girls were gone, so Steve let his full rage blow.  
  
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? You're not even 18 yet and you're moving in with him? What do you think Mum and Dad would say? You're still a kid. What are you going to do if he leaves you or throws you our?"  
  
At the last question, Sirius made a fist and was going to deck Steve if Reena hadn't stopped him. Reena's temper was quick and she responded before Steve had a chance to continue.  
  
"I'm moving in with him, Steve. Don't even try to stop me. I don't know what Mum and Dad would say, but they seemed to like Sirius well enough. I'm turning 18 in 2 weeks, so I'm not 'still a kid'. Lastly, Sirius wouldn't hurt me like that. He never has, and you're just trying to find reasons that we shouldn't be together. Anyway, my job is in London and that's where I'm going to live."  
  
"Bullshit. You could apparate from home at the same speed you could if you lived in London. I've been telling you since you were 14 that he wants to do is use you, and now he has a perfect chance."  
  
"I've had enough. Look at yourself Steve. If I go back home, all you're going to do is dictate my life. I need a change and I would like to start a life with the man I love. Is that so difficult for you to understand?"  
  
Steven had no response for her. Reena had made it crystal clear that he had pushed her away by being overprotective. The 3 of them went back to the Delton house. Reena quickly packed some of her belongings whole Steven and Sirius sat in complete silence. Reena and Sirius left shortly afterwards to his London flat. They hadn't told Steve of their engagement and decided then and there to keep it their secret. [End of Flashback]  
  
*please review! 


	11. Chapter 11

The few days that Sirius promised to stay turned into a few weeks and they were pure bliss for Reena and Sirius. They both had plenty of work from LAV, but they were together. They couldn't leave the apartment, so they spent their time indoors. They talked for hours and hours on end. One evening they were looking through pictures Reena had taken at school and when she moved to London. Sirius found a picture of Reena that had been taken only a few weeks before he was arrested. He held it next to Reena's face and compared the 2.  
  
"Are you taking an anti-aging potion or something?" he asked playfully.  
  
"No. You know I was never good at potions, especially complex ones. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Look at this photo. I took it a little while before I was arrested. My point is, you hardly have aged compared to this picture. Haven't you ever noticed?"  
  
"No, but you should be one to speak. Here's a picture of us on my birthday before you were taken away. You look almost identical to it. The picture is about 14 years old. What kind if charm did you cast?"  
  
"I don't know, but it definitely seems really weird." * Harry was working on a Potions essay when he looked at his alarm clock. 12:15 am. He put down his quill and decided to open the first present of his 15th birthday. He took the plainly wrapped package from under his bed and opened it. He found a polished wood box and a card inside. He opened the hinged box to find about 2 dozen labeled jars. He then opened the card.  
  
Dear Harry, Happy 15th birthday. Please forgive me if your gift does not seem very exciting. However, these are highly selective potion ingredients. Hogwarts students use only a few of these ingredients in their 7th year. I think you will find these useful if you need a to get yourself out of a scrape. If you potions master is anything like mine was, don't let him find out about these ingredients. Enjoy. ~Reena  
  
Harry looked through the box, finding some ingredients he was sure Snape had mentioned in class. Other labels were completely foreign to him. Under all the jars, Harry found 2 thin books. One was "Selected Potions from Moste Ponte Potion". The other book interested Harry more. "Selective Potions and How to Have Fun With Them" gave about 500 ways to make potions for pranks. Harry smiled and though about how much fun he, Ron, and Hermione would have in the school year. * On August 4th, Reena and Sirius were eating dinner when harry to a piece of parchment and quill and gave it to Reena.  
  
"Reens, I want you to plan our wedding. Decorations, guest lists, menus, I want you to have it just the way you want it," Sirius explained.  
  
"Our wedding? I don't care if just signing legal documents. I don't want a fancy reception," Reena replied.  
  
""Of course you do," Sirius contradicted. "You need something like this. Remember you had the preliminary sketched of your wedding dress at 18. Don't tell me at 33 you don't believe in this kind of stuff."  
  
"I do believe in it. If we hadn't decided to keep it a secret, and someone had asked me, I would say I was your wife! Even if it wasn't on record," Reena truthfully told him.  
  
"The first thing I do when I get cleared is find you. Then we're taking Harry away from the Dursley's, and find a church and make everything official. But who says I don't want a big, white wed . . ." Sirius was cut off by a hoarse voice.  
  
"Snuffles? You have to get out of here."  
  
Reena and Sirius looked up to find Remus in the apartment.  
  
"I'm sorry Reena. I don't normally apparate into people's homes, but Snuffles, you've got to leave," he explained/apologized rapidly.  
  
"What are you talking about Remus? Where do I have to go?" Sirius demanded.  
  
"The aurors are making their way back to London. You have to go far away as soon as possible," Remus explained further, "You haven't got much time if you want to stay ahead of them."  
  
Sirius bolted up and ran into the bedroom. He threw some of his things in a shopping bag and came back to Reena, giving her a look of agony.  
  
"Go Sirius. You know you can't stay here if you don't want to be caught. It's only temporary. You'll be back soon," Reena said calmly.  
  
Sirius looked at Reena for a long moment. Without warning, he picked up Reena and kissed her. For the briefest second, their souls seemed to melt into one another. In that second, they didn't care that Remus was watching, or that they didn't know when Sirius was coming back. All they knew was that they would be together. They couldn't explain how they knew, but they seemed to know it for certain. As Sirius put Reena down, he whispered "I love you."  
  
Finally having the chance to respond to his parting words, she whispered back "I love you too."  
  
Sirius and Remus disapparated without another word. Reena began taking deep, yet shaky, breaths. She curled up on the sofa, letting her head rest on her knees. A dam of tears broke and ran down her face. She didn't feel like crying, but the soft sobs continued. While Sirius was here, Reena thought, I let myself pretend that he was here for good. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to pretend, but it was so hard not to when her heart's deepest desire was be with Sirius. She continued sobbing until she fell asleep.  
  
Reviews Please!!!!!! 


	12. Chapter 12

Reena looked at herself in the mirror before leaving for work. Her countenance was blank and the happy sparkle that had been in her eyes for the past few weeks was gone. It wasn't likely that anyone would notice the downward change in her mood. All she had to do was throw herself in her work. The aurors were not satisfied with the list she had given them, so she still had plenty of work. Around mid-morning, there was a knock on Reena's office door.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked without stopping what she was writing.  
  
"Lupin" a voice replied.  
  
Reena stopped writing. She hesitated to answer because she did want Remus to tell her something had happened to Sirius.  
  
"Come in " she answer.  
  
The door opened and Remus walked in. He sat in a chair opposite of Reena's desk. He looked tired, but seemed to be his usual calm.  
  
"How are you doing?" Remus asked gently.  
  
"I'm feeling very well, how are you?" Reena answered without stopping her writing.  
  
Remus didn't believe her. Over the years, his wolfish side had heightened some of his senses. He could tell when people felt fear, discomfort, and when they lied. He could plainly tell that Reena was lying.  
  
"I'm serious Reena. You were very open when we were friends," Remus warned.  
  
"What do you mean 'when we were friends'?" Don't you consider us friends anymore?" she asked very confusedly.  
  
"I don't know Reena. Friends don't lie to each other," Remus said.  
  
"I'm sorry Remus, but I need some time. I've never dealt well when the people I love go away. This time is no different, even if I'm older," she explained without looking at him.  
  
"I understand Reena. Maybe I could distract you from your work for just a minute. I think I've come up with a way to find Peter."  
  
At the last sentence, Reena looked up. If they could find Peter, it would be the ticket to Sirius' freedom. She stared intently at Remus.  
  
"How? And how can I help you?" Reena asked without letting her excitement to seep into her voice.  
  
"We never thought of using a summoning charm. I need help making it more powerful. The other problem is finding a piece of Peter's hair or something like it," Remus explained.  
  
"Why not use his finger. His mother should still have it," Reena suggested.  
  
"Mrs. Pettigrew died about 6 years ago. She had 5 other children, all of whom might have inherited it. They may not want to part with it," Remus warned.  
  
"Are you suggesting that I use my position in the Ministry to forcefully take his finger?" Reena asked, amused.  
  
"I didn't ask anything, but know that you mention it, you might as well try," Remus answered, equally amused.  
  
"Fine. After we get the finger, we'll try to find out how we can amplify the charm," Reena said.  
  
"That's what I had in mind," Remus said as he stood to leave. As he walked to the door, he turned and said, "Don't worry about Snuffles. He'll be all right and back before you know it."  
  
Reena went back to her work. The pair of Aurors, Alberts and Knatter, were very demanding. They hadn't been satisfied with the first list of names she had given them, the second list would bring the total to 53 persons. She grabbed the list and walked to the Aurors Department.  
  
Alberts and Knatter's office walls were covered in charts that had people's names, how they had been connected with the Death Eaters before the fall of Voldemort, how they were cleared, when they joined the Ministry, and how they could be tied to the recent rise in Dark Magic. Out of the 27 names Reena had given them, they were certain they could arrest at least 12 people. They were desperate for names so they could make more connections. A knock at the door sent their hopes flying for more names.  
  
"I've got 26 more names for you," Reena informed them.  
  
"It's about time. I though all the Cabinet members had access to files like these," Knatter said irately.  
  
'Well they don't. So be patient," Reena said hotly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm getting some more coffee. Want any?" Knatter asked, as if he didn't really want to get anyone else some coffee.  
  
"No thanks," Alberts said. "I'm just going to ask Delton some things."  
  
Knatter left and Alberts closed the door. He pointed to a chair where Reena could sit.  
  
"How are you Miss Delton?" Alberts asked politely.  
  
"Quite well, thank you," Reena lied.  
  
"Did you know we had leads that Sirius is in London?" Alberts asked.  
  
"Really? Well, isn't that something," Reena said blankly.  
  
"It is quite something. Whoever catches him will be quite famous,' Alberts informed her, as if she was a child.  
  
"I take it you don't believe Professor Dumbledore," Reena said without emotion.  
  
"Quite the contrary. You wouldn't believe how much I wanted to believe the professor," Alberts said wistfully.  
  
"So believe him. The man is a genius and doesn't go around spewing random things," Reena said defensively.  
  
"I think you misunderstood me. I believe Dumbledore. Do you know how the Fidelious Charm works?" Alberts asked.  
  
"Yes" Reena answered quickly.  
  
"Do you know what happens if the secret keeper betrays the people he's hiding?" Alberts asked.  
  
"No" Reena said quickly.  
  
"The betrayer develops a mark, always in a visible place. That's how the charm was developed in the Middle Ages. The mark appears on the betrayer's face, neck, or hands. When Sirius was taken to Azkaban, he didn't have the mark. I checked him myself after he was in prison. That means he couldn't have betrayed the Potters," Alberts explained.  
  
Reena sat and contemplated the information. She was in a state of disbelief. She didn't think that any other member of LAV, including Sirius' old Auror partner, would believe his innocence.  
  
"Thank you," Reena said as she shook Alberts' hand.  
  
"Any time," he replied as she left. *  
  
Reena rapped her knuckles on the door of Mrs. Patricia Sellers, Peter's eldest sister. A woman in her late 40's opened the door.  
  
"Yes?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Sellers. My name is Reena Delton. I am a Cabinet Member with the Ministry of Magic. May I please come in?" Reena said politely. This was the standard line Ministry members gave when they wanted something.  
  
"Yes, of course," Mrs. Sellers said, less impatiently.  
  
Mrs. Sellers led Reena to a crowded room with lots of sofas and chairs.  
  
"Mrs. Sellers, I'm here to ask you about your brother Peter," Reena said gently.  
  
"Peter? You know he's dead?" Mrs. Sellers said quietly.  
  
"Yes I do. My question is about the finger your mother was given after he received his Order of Merlin," Reena explained.  
  
"I don't have the finger. My brother Perry does. He was very close to Peter," Mrs. Sellers told Reena.  
  
"Where may I find Perry?" Reena inquired.  
  
"He lives outside of Manchester. He works for a Muggle. I'm not quite sure what he does," Mrs. Sellers said to Reena.  
  
"A Muggle? Well, I will try to find him. Do you know the address where he works?" Reena asked.  
  
"Yes. He left something . . . a business card he called it. Let me get it for you," Mrs. Sellers said.  
  
She returned with a business card. Perry Pettigrew, vice-president, Darby Textiles. It had the address of his employment and work telephone number. She thanked Mrs. Sellers and left. Reena apparated to her office. She left her robe there so she could appear like a Muggle wearing a pantsuit.  
  
Reena apparated in an alley a few blocks away from the office building that was listed on the card. The building was a typical glass box structure. A receptionist in the lobby made eye contact with Reena.  
  
"May I help you?" the receptionist asked cheerfully.  
  
"Where are the Darby Textiles offices?" Reena asked politely.  
  
"Floors 6 through 12," the receptionist answered.  
  
Reena found the elevators and pushed the button for the 6th floor. The 3 other people in the elevator looked at Reena. By the way she dressed and carried herself, they thought she must be a business executive. Then they saw how young she looked and concluded that she must be an intern of some kind. The elevator stopped at the 6th floor. The office was very busy, but there was another receptionist sitting at a desk across from the elevators.  
  
"Where is Mr. Pettigrew's office?" Reena asked.  
  
"12th floor," the receptionist answerd back.  
  
So back into the elevators Reena went. The doors opened to a much quieter floor. Yet another receptionist sat behind a desk across from the elevators. Reena concluded that the 12th floor was the office floor for executives at Darby Textiles.  
  
"Excuse me, where is Mr. Pettigrew's office?" Reena asked again.  
  
"Third door to the left, office 1209," the receptionist answered.  
  
Reena found office 1209, but a secretary was sitting out side the office at her desk.  
  
"May I see Mr. Pettigrew?" Reena asked.  
  
"Do you have an appointment?" the secretary asked, with the knowledge that Reena didn't.  
  
"No, I'm sorry, I don't," Reena replied very politely.  
  
"May I ask what business you'd like to see Mr. Pettigrew?" the secretary asked.  
  
"It's regarding Mr.Pettigrew's family business," Reena replied, once again very poliely.  
  
"One moment please."  
  
The secretary picked up the telephone and spoke in a hushed voice. She put down the phone and turned to Reena.  
  
"You may go in," the secretary aid quickly.  
  
Reena opened the door and closed it behind her. Initially, she was surprised by the size of Mr. Pettigrew's office. She estimated it was roughly the size of her flat. She saw Mr. Pettigrew sitting at a desk by the window. He looked up as she closed the door.  
  
"How may I help you?" Perry Pettigrew asked.  
  
""Hello Mr. Pettigrew. My name is Reena Delton and I'm a member of the Cabinet in the Ministry of Magic. May I speak with you briefly?" Reena introduced herself.  
  
"What does the Ministry want with me? I hope I haven't done anything wrong," Perry Pettigrew chuckled  
  
"No. I was wondering if you could help us with an investigation. Is it possible if we could borrow Peter's finger? We understand it is in your possession," Reena told him.  
  
Perry's round rosy face lost its color.  
  
"An investigation? Sirius Black killed my brother and now he's running out free. I don't see why you would need Peter's finger," Perry said sharply.  
  
"it would help greatly in our investigation. New developments in charms really could help in addition to your brother's finger," Reena explained ambiguously.  
  
"I'm not giving you Peter's finger. That's all I have left of him. You're not getting it, end of discussion. I'm very busy if you please," he said rather rudely.  
  
  
  
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	13. Chapter 13

Harry sat comfortably in the last train carriage with Ron and Hermione. They were waiting, eagerly, for Harry to tell them what had happened over the holiday.  
  
"Ooooo, Harry, these are really hard to get," Hermione said enviously as Harry showed them his present from Reena.  
  
"Loos at this picture. This is almost exactly how she looked when I last saw her," Harry said, showing Ron and Hermione the album.  
  
"You mean she was dressed up like that and everything?" Ron asked.  
  
"No. I mean her face looked the same," Harry said.  
  
"She might have taken an age reducing potion," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Why would she do that?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't think so," Ron said, "She's in the Daily Prophet a lot and all her photos look like that. Maybe she's under a youthfulness curse," he suggested.  
  
"I highly doubt those exist," Hermione said matter-of-factly. *  
  
Reena took up more work than other people thought possible. In addition to LAV and her ministry duties, she was doing some of the other Cabinet member's work. She was constantly working. The Ministry offices closed early on Halloween, but Reena took all her work home. The next day, she received a letter from an irritated Steve for not taking a break on Halloween. Reena replied she would visit on Christmas.  
  
Remus had tried to convince Perry Pettigrew to let them borrow the finger, but Perry adamantly refused. Reena and Remus decided to wait for a little bit, then send another person to try and get the finger. Remus suspected Perry of withholding the finger for more than sentimental reasons, but Reena did not agree. She pointed out that he did not a have a history of associating with Death Eaters. In fact, since he had graduated from Hogwarts, Perry Pettigrew had lived among Muggles.  
  
One night in late November, Reena awoke from an unpleasant nightmare. It was the one where Sirius was being taken away by Dementors. Getting up to make some tea, Reena realized it had been 3 months since she had last seen Sirius. There had been no letters or any other word from him. Reena knew she was being selfish, but she wanted to hear from Sirius. He had hardly been with her for a month before he had to go away again. Reena cursed the Ministry for being so arrogant before settling into an uneasy sleep.  
  
Christmas crept up and there was a blanket of snow on the city. The Ministry staff began to get ready for their holidays, but the members of LAV were still hard at work. There was a ascheduled metting on Christmas Day at Hogwarts.  
  
Reena packed her valise and arrived late at Steven's house on Christmas Eve. He greeted her and gave her the line about he had found her a decent boyfriend, but Reena brushed it off. She didn't care what Steve did or said anymore. He became concerned immediately when she didn't yell back at him.  
  
"What's wrong Reena?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing. I've got a lot of work to do,"she said quickly.  
  
"Put your work down for a while. It's Christmas," Steve told her.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I'll see you tomorrow," she replied as she shut the guest room door. True to her word, she was up till 3 working. At 7:30, Jen and Kate came bounding into her room.  
  
"Wake up Aunt Reena!" they shouted as they bounced up and down on the bed. Reena shooed them out and dressed.  
  
Laura had made coffee cake for breakfast, a Christmas tradition in the house. Jen and Kate were happily tearing away at their gifts when Reena handed them 3 Galleons each. This was her annual gift to them. For Steve and Laura, she gave them a pair of Celestina Warbeck concert tickets. In return, Laura and Steve gave her a light gray, silk dress robe.  
  
Christmas was a very difficult time for Reena. Most families sat around and talked about the past on Christmas, but Reena and Steve were unusually quiet. They preferred not bringing up the past, and just waited for Christmas to be over. It was easier for Steve because he had his own family to celebrate with, but Reena still felt like an intruder in her brother's home at Christmas. She was happy she had a LAV meeting to distract her for the day.  
  
After lunch, Reena left for the meeting. It would take a good 30 minutes to walk to Hogwarts, but Reena liked the snow walk. The air blew as she walked, but she was invigorated by it. Professor Dumbleore was stood in the main entrance of Hogwarts, waiting for the rest of LAV. The members slowly came and the filed into an empty classroom. The meeting was very brief. Alberts and Knatter had found 68 people working for the Ministry who confessed to working for Voldemort in the last 12 months. Most committees were succesful on what they were working on.  
  
The meeting was adjourned and the members quickly left. Reena stayed behind to speak privately with Dumbledore. They walked to his office in the unusually quiet school. He sat Reena down and poured her a mug of hot chocolate.  
  
"Professor, may I ask you a question?" Reena asked hesitantly.  
  
"Of course Miss Delton," Dumbledore said kindly.  
  
"In late July, Sirius and I were looking through some old photographs. He came across one that was taken shortly before he was arrested. The odd thing about the photograph was that I seemed not to have aged since it was taken. Is that possible?" Reena asked.  
  
Dumbledore thought for a moment before speaking. He gave a kind, grandfatherly look to Reena, who was anxious to hear what he had to say.  
  
"Love is one of the greatest things there is. You cannot manufacture love, so it is very rare. I believe you were 19 when Sirius was arrested?"  
  
Reena nodded her head. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"You still have the appearance of a 19 year-old. This type of magic is very rare. I myself have only seen one other case like yours. When 2 people really love each other and become separated by circumstances out of their control, the 2 people stop aging. They begin to age again when they are reunited permanently. For instance, if Sirius was to be cleared and able to live with you right now, in 5 years, you would appear to be 24 while you would actually be 38. The same would apply to Sirius."  
  
"Why does that happen?" Reena asked impulsively.  
  
"It gives people a chance to make up for lost time, I suppose. The origins of magic created by love have not been documented or studied very often. Most people believe love is special and should not be analyzed from all aspects," Dumbledore explained.  
  
"Thank you Professor," Reena thanked him.  
  
"Harry is here for his holiday," Dumbledore told Reena.  
  
"May I see him?" Reena asked.  
  
"Let me show you the way," Dumbledore said.  
  
Dumbledore and Reena walked down corridors and stairways to the portrait of the fat lady. Dumbledore gave the password ("mistletoe") and let Reena in. Inside the common room, she found Harry and a tall red headed boy playing wizard's chess. Harry's friend saw Reena first and got Harry's attention.  
  
"Merry Christmas Harry," Reena said cheerfully.  
  
"Merry Christmas," Harry replied. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I had some business to attend to. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I spend Christmas here. I like it much better than at the Dursley's. This is Ron," Harry said, pointing to the youngest Weasly brother.  
  
Reena sat on the sofa as the boys continued to play their game. The atmosphere felt a bit awkward, but Reena continued to stay. Ron left the common room when Fred and George said they were going to the kitchens to get more food. After they left, Reena gave Harry a slim package.  
  
"I know your birthday present must have been a disappointment, but I don't think your Christmas gift will be any better. I don't really know what your interests are or what you need," Reena said sheepishly.  
  
"Not really, I used the potions kit a couple of times. I still have plenty of time to use it again," he reassured her.  
  
Harry opened the gift and found a notebook full of notes and things written in the margins. He gave Reena a puzzled look.  
  
"When I was in school, I was horrible at potions. Your mum was a genius in school. She tutored me for a while and all the things she helped with are in that book. I thought you should have something that she had for some time. Who knows, you may find it helps you too," Reena said hopefully.  
  
Harry flipped through the pages and studied his mother's script-y handwriting.  
  
"Thank you very much," he said very softly.  
  
"Your welcome. You know that you and I have more in common than you think," Reena said kindly.  
  
"Really? Like what?" Harry asked.  
  
"My parents died just like yours did," Reena said gently.  
  
Harry looked at Reena. From the tone of her voice and the way her eyes looked, he saw that her parents' death was still fresh in her mind. He never really thought of Voldemort killing other people's paretns as well as his own.  
  
"When?" he asked curiously.  
  
"My 7th year. Very bad time for me, that year," Reena said softly.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry said, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"It's nothing to be sorry about, they died a long time ago. Do you spend Easter holiday here as well?" Reena asked.  
  
"Yeah, always," Harry replied.  
  
"Is it okay if I visit you then? Or would you like to come to London for the holiday?" Reena suggested.  
  
"The professors always give a lot of homework over the Easter Holiday," Harry said, implying that he would rather stay at school for the holiday.  
  
"You have a point. Can I visit you then?" Reena asked his permission.  
  
"Sure. I'd like to meet you again," Harry said.  
  
They said goodbye and Reena left. Harry was glad that he had someone he felt he could trust who wasn't on the run and Reena was glad that Harry was receptive to her attempts to be friends.  
  
~please review and thank you for those who already have. I really appreciate it. 


	14. Chapter 14

The Christmas holidays were soon over and everyone was back to work. Another LAV meeting in the second week of January brought new assignments to everyone. Professor Dumbledore brought a proposition to Reena.  
  
"Miss Delton, I have a new message for you. It has the possibility of being very dangerous. Do you wish to accept it?"  
  
"Yes Professor, what must I do?" Reena accepted in a heartbeat.  
  
"During the last reign of Voldemort, Ivy Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy organized a group of women who were mostly the wives of Death Eaters. These women were brutal and were responsible for most of the Muggle killings. After the Lestranges were imprisoned, the group of women disbanded. Narcissa Malfoy was never convicted due to lack of evidence. Except for now. She was caught trying to break into a Muggle house by an Auror. She is currently in our custody. We need you to go undercover, as Narcissa, to gather intelligence. Do you think you can do it?" Dumbledore asked calmly.  
  
"I can. Will I be taking the Polyjuice potion?" Reena reaffirmed her acceptance.  
  
"Yes. Your assignment starts now," Dumbledore said.  
  
They walked to an office where Snape was standing in front of a cauldron.  
  
"The potion won't be ready for a few days. Even with the adjustments I've made, it needs more time," Snape told Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, of course Severus," Dumbledore agreed. Then to Reena he added, "This should give you some time to tie up any loose ends. This mission is classified. Your rendezvous point will be in the Shrieking Shack in 2 days. Go there to receive more details," Dumbledore instructed.  
  
"Of course," Reena said as she nodded.  
  
Later that evening, Reena packed some clothes to leave at the Shrieking Shack. A voice coming from the fireplace halted her packing. She walked into the living room to find Remus projected in the fireplace.  
  
"Reena, what the hell did you agree to? This mission is suicide," Remus said in an unusually angry voice.  
  
"I have to do things for work Remus. What's the difference if I accepted this mission or not?" Reena countered.  
  
"What's the difference? If they find out who you are, they'll do worse than kill you. Have you thought how this is going to affect everyone who cares about you?" Remus argued.  
  
"Why? Why should I care? This mission is classified. I'm old enough to know what I can and can't do," Reena answered back.  
  
"What about Sirius? What does he think? Or how is he going to act when he finds out?" Remus challenged.  
  
"Don't you dare tell Sirius. He's had the courtesy to keep the harrowing details of his escape from me and I'd like to do the same," Reena told him.  
  
"You mean this whole thing is a way of getting back at Sirius?" Remus asked disgustedly.  
  
"How the hell did you come up with that? I don't get revenge for Sirius trying to stay out of Azkaban. My job requires me to make sacrifices and that's what I'm doing right now," Reena informed him.  
  
"Right, then I'll wish you luck and don't do anything foolish," he said as his projection faded.  
  
Reena went back to packing, but began thinking about what Remus had said. Was the only reason she accepted the mission is because she didn't care what happened to herself anymore? Or was she just doing her job? The questions swirled in her head as she wrote checks out for bills and cleaned out her refrigerator. * The day came when the potion was ready. Snape handed Reena a thermos. It was full of the Polyjuice Potion.  
  
"You only need to take a few large sips," Snape instructed, "You also have to take some every hour. Keep track of time, otherwise you will transform back into yourself. It won't be pleasant."  
  
Reena nodded and took a few mouthfuls. The potion tasted vile, but she continued to swallow it. The few people in the room saw her transform from a short, slender, black haired witch with brown eyes into a taller blond women with icy blue eyes. Dumbledore gave her a large hooded robe.  
  
"They are meeting in a graveyard in the village of Little Haggleton. Our intelligence has been keeping track," Dumbledore told her.  
  
Reena nodded and dissapparated. She reappeared in a graveyard with a few other people. Someone came very close to her and whispered harshly in her ear.  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
Reena tried to look under the hood and caught a glimpse of Luscious Malfoy.  
  
"I had to take care of some business," Reena whispered back in a very strained voice.  
  
"What's with your voice?" Lucious asked.  
  
"I'm sick," Reena lied.  
  
A dark cloud of smoke appeared and so did another hooded person, but under the hood, was 2 glowing red eyes. The other figures around the graveyard bowed, so Reena did too. They rose and waited for Voldemort to speak.  
  
"We must kill the Potter boy," Voldemort hissed. A low sound of agreement followed.  
  
"First we must kill his aunt and unlce and destroy the house. The house has an elaborate protection system. We must find a way around the protection charms and burn the house to the ground. I want you to do it Narcissa. Your work with charms has been exceptional and I believe Muggle killing are you specialty," Voldemort said in high-pitched voice.  
  
"Yes my lord," Reena answerd in her strained voice.  
  
"Will you need your force of women friends to help you?" Voldmort hissed.  
  
"If I may, my lord, may I take a few days to scout the area first, then try to destroy the Muggles?" Reena asked in her best Narcissa impression.  
  
"Do what you have to, but do not fail," he warned evilly.  
  
"Of course not my lord," Reena assured him.  
  
Voldemort disapparated in a puff of black smoke, and soon the other Death Eaters dissapparated. Lucious, however, did not. He grabbed Reena's arm.  
  
"You haven't been home in 3 days, where were you?" he demanded.  
  
"Like I said before, taking care of business. You look tired. Let me disapparate for us," Reena said in fake sympathy.  
  
Lucious Malfoy took her hand and Reena dissapparated for both of them. They reappeared inside a house with broken furniture. There were also half a dozen wizards.  
  
"Narci, where did you take us?" Lucious demanded.  
  
"I'm no Narci," Reena sneered, although she still appeared to be Narcissa Malfoy.  
  
"Lucious Malfoy, you are under arrest for your Death Eating connections to Voldemort. Your trial shall be in 2 days time. Until then, you shall be held in Ministry custody," Reena informed a fuming Malfoy.  
  
An auror left with Malfoy, so the rest of the wizards waited for the Polyjuice potion to wear off. After it did, Reena gave them the details of what Voldemort wanted.  
  
"We'll send security to the Dursley's immediately. You go with them Reena. When you go back to the graveyard, tell you-know-who what you know. Be honest. We'll take care of the rest," a high-level security wizard told Reena.  
  
She agreed and left with 2 other security wizards to the home of Arabella Figg. With the security wizards, she observed the Dursley's for 2 days and was disgusted by what she saw. Although their son was away at school, the Dursley's were very snooby and liked to make outrageous appearences. Along with the security wizards, Reena formulated what she was going to tell Voldmort.  
  
  
  
  
  
~please and thank you for reviewing! 


	15. Chapter 15

The graveyard was misty and damp. The security wizards sent her there when they saw the dark mark burning on Lucious' forearm. Voldemort was already there with Peter at his side.  
  
"What do you have?" Voldemort asked in a dangerously low voice, which made Peter wince.  
  
"The house and property are protected by high level charms, some of which I do not know how to disarm. However, this will not be a problem. The man and women leave the house often. We simply must throw a curse at their car when they are leaving home. Muggle police will think their car exploded from a problem inside the car," Reena suggested in Narcissa's place.  
  
"What about the house and the Dursley boy?" Voldemort asked angrily. Peter winced again.  
  
"The boy is not a Hazard. He is away at boarding school. The house will most likely be rented to other Muggles. The Dursley boy will be left with other relatives," Reena said.  
  
"What about the Potter boy?" asked Voldemort.  
  
"He will have no where to go. Then out chance will be there," Reena said maliciously. She thought it would be the thing Narcissa Malfoy would do.  
  
"I'm pleased with your work," Voldemort praised.  
  
"Thank you my lord," Reena said. Before she was able to disapparate, Voldemort asked her another question. Reena's heart was in her mouth.  
  
"Would you like to lead the attack?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"Please my lord, I would like to lead a group of people. Perhaps if we took a group of women, we would appear less suspicious in the Muggle world," Reena answered.  
  
"Would 5 do?" Voldemort offered.  
  
"Yes my lord," Reena said as she disapparated.  
  
The Shrieking Shack was buzzing with action. A dozen wizards had been sent for back up force. 9 o'clock Wednesday morning, Reena (looking like Narcissa) and 5 other women sent by Voldemort stood at an intersection where Vernon Dursley drove. They saw Vernon's Volvo pull up and all the women pulled out their wands. This was the security wizards' cue to arrest the women. In a few seconds of mass confusion, Vernon was pushed into the passenger seat was being driven away by a security wizard. The Death Eating women were subdued, arrested, and taken away. The rest of the security wizards went around the neighborhood modifying the memories of any Muggle who had seen the incident. * Reena sat calmly in the Shrieking Shack, nodding at the congratulations that were passed her way.  
  
"Very good work Miss Delton," Dumbledore congratulated Reena.  
  
"You won't be able to go undercover as Mrs. Malfoy anymore."  
  
"I know," Reena said flatly, "what else can I do?"  
  
"A group of goblins would like to meet with you about the Azkaban issue. They are refusing to meet with anybody else," Dumbledore told her.  
  
"It would be my pleasure," Reena replied, flattered.  
  
Goblins had always fascinated Reena. She was very short and liked the idea that other vertically challenged creatures could possess such powerful magic. She apparated to Diagon Alley and met a group of 8 goblins inside Gringotts. They sat inside a small conference room and discussed how to handle the "Azkaban coup". The goblins agreed to lend some of the Gringotts goblins until they could train more goblins to take over. They were stumped with what to with the Dementors. Reena informed them that they were re- joining the Dark side, and suggested that use a Patronus. Griphook reminded Reena that goblins did not have wands to produce a Patronus and that the goblin equivalent to a Patronus was unstable and easily backfire and inadvertently be used against the wizards. A thoughtful goblin named Grapplelock suggested that Reena gather a large group of wizards to perform the Patronus. Grapplehook thought that 35 wizards would be enough to deal with the dementors. Both sides agreed and Reena went back to the Shrieking Shack. She eagerly awaited her next mission. * Remus was concerned about what missions Reena was taking on. Most of them were dangerous. On top of that, she was leading the coup on Azkaban. Remus would have sent word to Sirius about what Reena was doing, but he knew that Sirius would die for Reena. In other words, he would come out of hiding to try and stop her. Remus said a small prayer every day that the 2 of them would learn to keep their sanity.  
  
Reena planned a night attack. She had recruited all of the member's of LAV and a few trusted people from the office. They, plus about 25 goblins, would take 2 boats to the fortress. The witches and wizards would perform a Patronus while the goblins used their magic to overtake the fortress. If everything went right, Reena calculated the whole mission should take less than 1 hour. Reena was given approval by Dumbledore and Mr. Julius.  
  
Reena left she had everything under control until she received a letter. It was from Harry and was very short.  
  
Dear Reena, I think I saw Peter Pettigrew at school. Is it possible if you could come to Hogwarts soon? Dumbledore isn't in school right now. ~ Harry  
  
Reena apparated from her flat to outside the Hogwarts grounds. She walked until she reached the front doors of the school. She used the huge brass knocker and waited. One of the massive doors cracked opened and Filch stuck his head out.  
  
"What'd want?" he growled.  
  
"I need to speak to Professor McGonagall. It's urgent if you don't mind," Reena said sharply.  
  
"Who're you?" he growled again.  
  
"Reena Delton," she identified herself.  
  
Apparently, Filch had the common sense to be polite to members of the Ministry. He led Reena to a picture of a Chinese Fireball, gave the password ("Florinda") and walked in. Reenafollowed him. She saw McGonagall and 3 other professors sitting around a cozy fire, drinking tea.  
  
"Er, Professor McGonagall, Miss Delton would like to see you," Filch said.  
  
"Thank you Argus," Professor McGonagall said, and Filch walked out.  
  
"Professor, I must see Harry," Reena asked.  
  
"Is it urgent?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Damnit Professor, I wouldn't come from London if I didn't have an urgent reason. Will you let me see Harry or not?" Reena said as her temper was rising with every syllable. Minerva McGonagall could not remember a time when a former student had been so indignant and was thrown off by Reena's behavior.  
  
"Come with me," McGonagall said, indicatiing she was not angry.  
  
McGonagall gave the password ("luna") and let Reena into the common room. Many Gryffindor's were still up trying to finish their homework. McGonagall pointed to where Harry was sitting in a corner, and left. Reena made her way to Harry, trying to avoid the stares of the other students.  
  
"Harry, are you okay?" Harry looked up to see Reena standing next to him. Rins was with him, as was a girl.  
  
"I guess. Reena, this is Hermione," Harry introduced.  
  
"What happened?" Reena asked causally.  
  
"Do you know about Peter Pettigrew?" Harry asked in return.  
  
"I know that he's still alive, but that's all," Reena answered.  
  
"He's an anigmus. He can turn into a rat. I saw him scampering down a corridor this morning, in his rat form," Harry told her.  
  
"Are you sure Harry? It could have been any rat," Reena told him.  
  
"I had Peter as a pet for a long time. That was before I knew what he was," Ron told her, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"He's not going to be able to come into the tower," Reena comforted him.  
  
"She's right Harry. All 4 towers are protected with very powerful charms that repel people or things that would want to harm students," Hermione explained.  
  
"But when he was Scabbers, he was able to come in," Rom reminded her.  
  
"He wasn't trying to harm Harry then, was he?" Hermione rhetorically asked.  
  
"Stay in the Gryffindor house when you're not in class. The whole castle doesn't have the protective charm," Reena informed Harry.  
  
"What about Quidditch practices?" Harry asked instinctively.  
  
"Don't go to the practices alone. Can you duel?" Reena asked. All 3 nodded. "If you run into real trouble, don't pay attention to the gentlemanly rules. The other thing is to learn some defensive charms. The 6th year book is full of them, can you borrow it from someone?"  
  
A light seemed to go off in Hermione's head. She raced up the stairs and came back with a large book in hand.  
  
"What about this one?" Hermione asked as she gave the book to Reena. Reena read the title (1001 Defensive Charms) and gave it back.  
  
"This will do just fine. If you happen to see Peter again, try to catch him, but don't go down into any deserted areas of the school," Reena advised.  
  
"What do we do if we catch him?" Ron asked.  
  
"Bind him and send me an owl immediately," Reena instructed.  
  
"Thanks for coming," Harry said gratefully.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Reena said, "Dumbledore should be back in about 2 days."  
  
Reena left, and Hermione opened the book. They were going to start defensive immediately to be prepared.  
  
  
  
~please review! 


	16. Chapter 16

38 wizards and 27 goblins gathered a few miles away from the coastline of Azkaban. The night was cool and breezy. The group made their way to the 2 docked boats. Each boat was evenly filled with wizards and goblins. Invisible motors propelled the boats to the giant fortress. The boats were docked on a secluded part of the island where the Dementors did not often go. The goblins scattered into position while the wizards went to hunt out the Dementors. The first group was at the entrance of the prison. 38 wizards bellowing "Expacto Partonum" sent a rocket of silvery gas towards the Dementors. They fled quicker than a scared cat. The group of armed wizards entered the prison and began banishing the Dementors inside. The goblins followed behind, using their own brand of magic to keep the prisoners from escaping. The overthrowing of the Dementors took 45 minutes. The goblins were left at the fortress to continue to guard it. The witches and wizards left on the boats.  
  
As they were leaving the fortress, Reena looked back at it. She realized that it was only the second time she had been there. The first time was a few weeks after Sirius had been sentenced. She had gone to visit him, but when she arrived, a Dementor had given her a note. Sirius wrote he didn't want her to visit and to waste her time with him in Azkaban. Reena never came back, respecting her love's wishes. Even though the Dementors were gone, he didn't deserve to be locked up for the rest of his life for a crime he didn't commit.  
  
The member's of LAV were released to go home and rest for 3 days. Although she felt exhausted, Reena felt he needed to do one more thing. She took a quill and parchment and penned a quick note.  
  
Dear Snuffles  
  
The Dementors have been expelled from Azkaban. Take any precautions against them. Love always ~ RD  
  
Reena attached the letter to her owl's leg. Reena watched the owl fly off before falling into a deep sleep. * The 3 days of vacation were agony for Reena. Work allowed her to forget all the nagging emotions within her. Now she had nothing to do, except think. Reena didn't want to acknowledge the pain of being alone or worry herself to death about Sirius' safety. Reena threw some blue powder in the fire, which allowed her to project herself in someone else's fireplace. As the flames turned light blue, Reena stepped in and in a strong voice said "Remus Lupin".  
  
Instead of seeing the wall of her fireplace, Reena had a view of Remus' living room His house was a tidy little place, and from the look of it, he didn't often receive guests.  
  
"Remus, I know you're here," Reena called out.  
  
"Who's there?" a sleepy voice mumbled.  
  
"It's Reena, now will you please come into view?" Reena asked. A very tired looking Remus walked into the living room in his pajamas. "Were you sleeping?" Reena asked in disbelief.  
  
"It's 7:30 Reena, of course I was sleeping. That's what people generally do after weeks of practically no sleep. What do you want?" Remus asked as he flung himself into an armchair.  
  
"Have you heard from Sirius?" Reena asked sweetly.  
  
"Good Lord! Where are you coming from?" Remus asked, obviously amused.  
  
"I've been thinking too much. This is what happens when I don't work. Do you at least know where he is?" Reena inquired.  
  
"Reena, he hasn't been keeping in regular contact with anyone. He hasn't been to Hogwarts this school year, so I think you should rule out Great Britain as his hiding place. Last I heard, at least from Dumbledore, he was in Mexico for part of November," Remus told her truthfully.  
  
"Okay, thanks Remus," Reena said. She vanished from his fireplace and was in her own flat. She wasn't completely satisfied with Remus' answers, but at least she left more comforted than she before she went.  
  
  
  
~ please review! 


	17. Chapter 17

Reena felt immediate relief when the 3-day vacation was over. Now back at work, she was assigned to testify against captured Death Eaters. The testimony was the same in most trials. When she took the Polyjuice potion, she had seen so and so at a meeting, serving the dark lord. Every case was found guilty.  
  
Winter soon transformed into spring and the Easter Holiday had arrived. Keeping her word to Harry, Reena made her way to Hogwarts. The school was less crowded, but Ron and Hermione were still with Harry.  
  
"Hello Harry," Reena greeted cheerfully.  
  
"Hi Reena," Harry answered. He seemed much less worried than the last time Reena saw him.  
  
They walked into one of the empty courtyards of the school. Reena felt comfortable to start questioning Harry.  
  
"Did Peter ever come back?" Reena asked.  
  
"No. I realized that I had a good tool after you left," Harry answered as he pulled out a ragged piece of parchment.  
  
"The map!" Reena said in delight.  
  
"You know this map?" Harry asked, obviously surprised.  
  
"Very well. The Marauderers lent it to me after they left school. I used it mostly to sneak out of Hogwarts every once in a while," Reena said with a small laugh.  
  
"Really? I wouldn't have thought that you would do that," Harry remarked.  
  
"Not many people whould have. Have you ever seen anything else suspicious on it?" Reena asked.  
  
"No. I never saw Peter on it again, or anything else strange. But I have noticed that Dumbledore's been gone a lot."  
  
"The Ministry needs his help," Reena said without revealing any other information.  
  
"Reena, has Snuffles answered any letters you sent him?'  
  
"I only had to send him one letter, he never answered back. I think he's receiving letters, but he doesn't want to answer them because he has to keep a low profile. "  
  
"Is there anything you could do in the Ministry to set him free?"  
  
"Harry you must understand that the Ministry is a very hard place to work. There's a lot of corruption and mistrust between members. I really have tried to convince people to let Sirius free, but my connections to him make other people distrust me."  
  
"Connections? How so?"  
  
Reena paused. She didn't know what to expect from Harry's reaction. She was quiet for minute before going on.  
  
"Sirius is my boyfriend. People were upset at me after I refused to denounce him."  
  
Harry was not very surprised by her answer. After seeing the picture in his album, he knew that Reena and Sirius were more than "good friends."  
  
The rest of the afternoon flew by. Reena, Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent the afternoon together. Not all their time was spent planning to find Peter, but they played a scrimmage match of Quidditch with some other students. 3 Gryffindor 7th year boys followed Harry wherever they went. They wanted to know who his pretty friend was. Hermione approached the boys and asked why they were spying on official Ministry business. The boys believed her and scattered.  
  
Reena left shortly after dinner. She wished the 3 kids good luck on their exams and soon left via floo powder.  
  
  
  
~please review 


	18. Chapter 18

The backlog of paper work created by Reena's dedication to LAV gave her plenty to do. On the outside, she looked like the hard working woman she was. On the inside, however, she felt like every fiber of her being was fading into oblivion. Reena felt less human and more mechanical. She hated it and wanted to break free, but everywhere she turned, she couldn't escape.  
  
In early June, Reena put down her work for a few hours. She went to her parents' graves and sat down in front of the headstones. Reena liked to visit her parent on their wedding anniversary, but she didn't share this with anyone because they might think she was crazy.  
  
The one sided conversation Reena had with her mom and dad relieved her. She could talk freely to them without worrying about how they would react. When she left, she felt renewed and alive.  
  
That night when Reena went to bed, she found a piece of scrap paper on the empty pillow next to her. The handwriting was unmistakably Sirius'. I'll come back someday soon was all that was written. Nothing more, nothing less. Reena held the piece of paper for a long time, secretly hoping it was a port key to Sirius. It wasn't a port key, but Reena didn't let go of the paper.  
  
The workload didn't decrease and June melted into July. One evening when the office was deserted, Reena decided she couldn't be in the office anymore. She wanted to do something different, so she apparated home and began to concoct a plan.  
  
Reena opened her closet and tried to find something a Muggle professional would wear. She settled on a gray pleated skirt and a light blue cardigan set. The light blue was the fist colorful thing she had worn in a long time.  
  
From her flat, Reena apparated to a small woods in a suburb. She walked in the neighborhood until she came to Number 4 Privet Drive. Reena rang the bell and waited. A thin, yet quite unpleasant looking woman answerd the door.  
  
"What?" she snapped at Reena.  
  
"My name is Jane Elton, and I'm from the Department of Family Services of Surrey. May I come in?" Reena lied.  
  
The change of expression on Petunia's face was priceless. The superior look on her bony face dropped and turned a light shade of ash.  
  
"P-p-please come in," Petunia said as she practically dragged Reena in the house. "How may I help you?" Petunia asked as they sat in the living room.  
  
"I was searching through some old files when I stumbled upon one in particular. You overtook legal guardianship over your nephew almost 15 years ago. I was doing some research, and I couldn't find him registered in any school. May I ask why?" Reena said, enjoying the tension that she was creating in the room.  
  
"He goes to a privet school in Bristol," Petunia lied. She would never let someone find out about Harry's "abnormality".  
  
"Bristol? What's wrong with the public schools around here?" Reena interrogated.  
  
"My husband found the school that was better suited for Harry," Petunia answered timidly.  
  
"May I see the young Mr. Potter?" Reena asked.  
  
"Of course Ms Elton, one moment please." Petunia left the room, and a few seconds later she heard some horrible screaming.  
  
"Harry! Get down here now!" Petunia shrieked.  
  
Petunia walked into the living room with Harry. Harry looked surprised to see Reena in the Dursley's house. He didn't say anything, but gave Reena a puzzled look.  
  
"Hello, my name is Jane Elton from Family Services. You must be Harry," Reena said as she put out her hand. Harry nodded and shook her hand. Reena turned to Mrs. Dursley.  
  
"If you don't mind, I need to speak with Harry in private. May I take him out for a few hours?" Reena asked.  
  
"Whatever you have to do," Petunia answered.  
  
Harry and Reena left and walked in the direction of a bus stop. They continued to walk until they reached the small woods. Harry followed Reena in, until they were well hidden by the trees.  
  
"Harry, take hold of my hand. I'm going to apparate us out of here," Reena instructed.  
  
"I thought I had to be certified before I could learn to apparate," Harry said warily.  
  
"You do, but it's possible for a person to apparate more people along with themselves," Reena explained.  
  
"Okay. I just have to hold your hand, right?" Harry asked uncertainly.  
  
"Only for a minute," Reena said gently.  
  
Harry took her hand and the woods around them faded. The next moment, they were inside a small flat.  
  
"Welcome to my home," Reena greeted. "I though you could get away from the Muggles for a little bit. Do you mind?"  
  
"Not at all. I thought it was great how you posed as a social worker. Thanks for thinking of me," Harry said happily.  
  
"Make yourself at home. I'm just going to get dinner started," Reena called from the kitchen.  
  
Harry looked around the tiny living room. There were piles of paperwork all around. There was a television, a stereo, and some photo albums on the entertainment center. He looked through Reena's impressive CD collection. He found a Red Hot Chili Peppers CD and put it in the stereo. They were his favorite Muggle band. He walked into the kitchen and found Reena softly singing along with the music.  
  
"Excellent choice. I didn't know you were into Muggle music," Reena commented.  
  
"Yeah, Dudley watches a lot of MTV. They sometimes play music that is actually good. It's kinda surprising. What's for dinner?" Harry asked, suddenly interested at what Reena was cooking.  
  
"You'll see. I just hope you're hungry," Reena said warmly.  
  
Harry nodded and his mouth watered as the good smells came out of the kitchen. Dinner was soon served. Harry ate several servings of the wonderfully prepared chicken, bread pudding, and boiled potatoes. This was soon followed by warm cookies and ice cream. Reena entertained Harry with stories of her school days and dinner was soon over.  
  
"Do you want to see some pictures?" Reena asked.  
  
Harry was intrigued and was presented with a stack of albums. This was the first time he had seen photographs from his parents' youth. Most of the pictures made Harry laugh very hard. The animated pictures all had stories behind them.  
  
"What happened in this one?" Harry asked, pointing to a picture where his father, Sirius, and Remus were laughing at another young man in the picture whose hair was on fire.  
  
"That one with the flames in his hair is Snape. He was on the wrong end of a fight when someone took out their wand. His hair was so greasy that a small spark turned his hair into the inferno pictured," Reena said as she caught her breath from laughing.  
  
The evening was full of stories. Harry got a better glimpse of what his parents were like with each story Reena told. There were only 3 albums left when Reena saw the time.  
  
"Damn it! It's almost 11. Harry, your relatives are probably worried about you. We have to get you back."  
  
"Their probably relieved that someone 'kidnapped' me," Harry replied dryly.  
  
"Well, in that case, I'll try to 'kidnap' you more often. How about that?" Reena offered.  
  
"How soon?" Harry asked as he broadly grinned.  
  
Reena apparated them to a dark street a few blocks away from the Dursley's. The walked to the house and rang the bell. Vernon Dursley opened the door and appeared to be intoxicated.  
  
"Where were you boy?" Venon barked at Harry.  
  
"Excuse me Mr. Dursley, is this how you treat your nephew?" Reena asked in her social worker mode.  
  
"Who the hell you?" Vernon asked, his speech slurred.  
  
"Jane Elton, Family Services," Reena answered. "At Family Services, we do not approve of drunken behavior towards minors. You can expect me back."  
  
Harry gave Reena a smile before Vernon slammed the door. Reena went back home and continued working on her paperwork. * Reena did not go back to Harry's house for a few weeks. She wanted to be sure that the intelligence around Number 4 wasn't too suspicious of her. On July 31, she finished her work early and apparted to Number 4 Privet Drive. Reena found Harry working in the front flowerbeds.  
  
"Hi Harry. Are your relatives home?" Reena asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, but not for long. Uncle Vernon has a big company dinner, Dudley and Aunt Petunia are going too," Harry said.  
  
"Good. Let's go inside. Get cleaned up. I'm going to talk to your aunt," Reena said.  
  
Harry let Reena inside and went to his room. Reena found Dudley watching television in the kitchen.  
  
"Get your mother," Reena instructed Dudley in a no nonsense manner.  
  
"Who're you?" Dudley said, not used to having people order him around.  
  
"Jane Elton. I want to have a word with your mother," Reena said curtly.  
  
Dudley grumbled and went to get Petunia. Petunia came down a few minutes later dressed in a garish chartreuse dress.  
  
"Ms. Elton, I was not expecting you tonight," Petunia said in a sickly sweet voice.  
  
"No? I expect you wouldn't. Your husband was visibly drunk when I dropped Harry off a few weeks ago. I decided to make a random check. I see you are laving for the evening, so I'm going to take Harry with me," Reena told Petunia sharply.  
  
Reena walked out of kitchen and to the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Are you ready Harry?" she asked politely.  
  
Harry came downstairs, dressed in a pair of baggy khaki's and his favorite Rugby shirt.  
  
"Where are we going?" he asked.  
  
"To London," Reena said as she grabbed his hand and apparated out of the house. The last image they saw before it faded was Petunia's horrified face.  
  
They reappeared in an alley in the Westend.  
  
"Happy birthday Harry! Where do you want to go for dinner?" Reena congratulated/asked.  
  
"Dinner? I don't care," Harry said uncertainly.  
  
"It's your 16th Birthday, choose something. There are a lot of restaurants around here. There's Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Indian, French, fish&chips, choose one. It's my gift to you," Reena said warmly.  
  
"I don't know. What do you like?" harry asked, boggled at how this woman was trying to give him a happy birthday.  
  
"How about Italian? There's a little restaurant down the street," Reena suggested.  
  
"Sure. It sounds good," Harry said.  
  
At the restaurant, Harry continued to notice how much effort Reena was putting forth for his birthday celebration. There were so many choices on the menu, Harry ended up ordering the same thing as Reena, 3-chese tortillini. During the meal, Reena told Harry that they would go find a good gift after they ate.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked as their food was being served.  
  
"It's your birthday. The only time I really celebrated your birthday was on your first. I guess I'm trying to make up 15 years of missed birthdays," Reena said honestly.  
  
"You sound just like Sirius," Harry said, amused at how much Sirius and Reena could act alike.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Sirius said something like that when he gave me a Firebolt for my 13th birthday."  
  
"A Firebolt? I don't think I would ever think of giving something like that. But Sirius was always able to know what people would really like."  
  
They are for a few minutes with nothing to talk about. Then Harry suddenly had a question to ask.  
  
"Reena, can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure. What do you want to know?"  
  
"Does Sirius have a house?" When I first met him, he said I could live with him after he was cleared."  
  
Reena paused for a moment to think of an answer. She wasn't quite sure how to word her answer.  
  
"Technically he does. His parents lived in a very nice house in a small wizard community in Windsor."  
  
"What do you mean 'technically'? Where are his parents now? And I thought Hogsmeade was the last wizarding community," Harry asked curiously.  
  
"Sirius' father died when he was 7. His mother continued to live in the house. She died 2 years after Sirius was put in Azkaban. Mrs. Black hadn't updated her will since Sirius was 10, so the house and estate were left to Sirius. The house has been abandoned since. Oh, and Hogsmeade is the last wizarding community, but there are pockets in the country where many wizards have settled outside of Muggle communities," Reena explained.  
  
""Did he always live in the house in Windsor?" Harry asked.  
  
"He grew up in it, but after Sirius graduated, he moved to London," Reena answered.  
  
"Have you always lived in London?" Harry asked, as if they were playing 20 questions.  
  
"No. I grew up in Bath. I moved to London after I graduated," Reena answered.  
  
Harry was about to ask another question, but the waiter brought a piece of tirimisu with a candle for Harry. Harry ate the cake and resumed to his questions.  
  
"Where did Sirius live in London?"  
  
Reena didn't want to answer the question, but did anyway because Harry wasn't a child.  
  
"In the flat."  
  
"Where you live now?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes. He lived there for a few years. It's the only place in London where I've lived," Reena said answering his next question.  
  
"Can I ask you some more stuff?" Harry asked as they left after Reena paid the bill.  
  
"Go ahead," Reena encouraged.  
  
"How do you fit in as a Muggle so well?"  
  
"My grandmother married a wizard. She convinced my parents to raise my siblings and me so that we could blend in with Muggles. It wasn't too hard. My mother was a Muggle-born. I attended public schools until I was 11, then I went to Hogwarts."  
  
"That's cool. How did Sirius fit in as a Muggle?"  
  
"Really well. It was part of his job to. Do you want anything specific for a present?"  
  
"No. I'm happy with anything."  
  
"So you won't mind some Muggle stuff? I prefer to stay away from Diagon Alley."  
  
"Why?" Harry asked, for what seemed to be the thousandth question of the evening.  
  
"Remember what I said about my connection? People still generally don't trust me. You know what people say about Sirius?" Reena asked seriously.  
  
Harry nodded his head.  
  
"Some people think I'm also involved with that," Reena said sadly.  
  
"But you took the Verteserum and they didn't find anything," Harry protested.  
  
"That may be so, but some people still don't want to believe it," Reena explained.  
  
They had stopped in front of a camera shop and Reena walked in. Harry followed her and watched her examine several cameras.  
  
"Do you have a camera?" Reena asked.  
  
"No," Harry answered.  
  
"Cameras are really good for capturing memories. You ever wish you could capture something and hold on to it forever?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. But how would I develop the film? I don't think my school has a dark room," Harry said cautiously as the store keeper loomed around them.  
  
'That's not a problem. Do you want a camera or should we go elsewhere?"  
  
"A camera would be great."  
  
Reena picked up a sleek 35 mm and bought it. As they walked out of the store, Reena explained how to develop pictures.  
  
"All you have to do is take the film out of the camera and place it in a tray. Then pour some developing potion and let it sit over night. The pictures will be perfect the next morning."  
  
"I don't think I know how to make that potion," Harry reminded Reena.  
  
"It's an easy one. They even sell it bottled. I have a spare bottle at home. And I'm sure Hermione knows how to brew it, the point of a camera isn't worrying about how to develop the film," Reena calmed him.  
  
Reena apparated them to the Dursley's house around 10. No one was home.  
  
"I hope I didn't shock your aunt too much," Reena said maliciously.  
  
"I doubt it. They hate magic," Harry commented grimly.  
  
"Oh dear. I hope it won't get you into trouble," Reena said.  
  
"Don't worry about it. They barely spoke to me for 3 weeks after I told them my godfather was an escaped convict," Harry said with a bright smile.  
  
"You can say whatever you want about me. I can come here very easily and scare the Muggles out of their wits," Reena said with a childish laugh.  
  
Reena left soon afterwards. Harry fell asleep thinking about the best birthday he'd ever had. 


	19. Chapter 19

The mid-August heat was unbearable. The heat and humidity would not allow Reena to sleep. She tired everything she knew to cool the room down, but nothing worked. Worries about other matters wouldn't let her sleep either.  
  
Per had been spotted several times throughout the country. Perry Pettigrew had been reported missing in the Muggle newspapers. Sirius hadn't been in contact with anyone for weeks. The stress of work was taking its toll on Reena. She had lost a considerable amount of weight and looked constantly tired. In the hazy heat, Reena couldn't stop looking at her ring. To her, it symbolized everything she and Sirius had to look forward too. It also reminded her how lonely she was without him. She was beyond tears, her loneliness was so desperate. The only thing inside of her was a feeling she had the last time Sirius had left. It was a spark of truth that she would see him again. * "Remus, are you sure all these sightings are credible?" Reena asked skeptically as she read the list of sightings.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure," Remus calmly answered.  
  
"But they're all scattered. There are 2 sightings in Kent, a couple in Devon, and some in Yorkshire. Why would he want to go to all these places?" Reena asked.  
  
"I don't know. The sightings are credible though. To our kind, the man's a hero. Even if people think he's been dead for 15 years, they wouldn't have forgotten his face," Remus reminded her.  
  
"Fine. What about his brother?" Reena asked.  
  
"Nobody can explain his disappearance. His wife is a Muggle, I'm not sure she even knows her husband is a wizard. His kids are really small, so they wouldn't have gotten their letters yet.. This would be an opportune time to search his house for the finger," Remus said.  
  
Reena quickly obtained a warrant for Perry Pettigrew's house. Remus and Reena apparated to his house in Manchester. They rang the bell and a stuffy older woman answered the door.  
  
"Is Mrs. Tracy Pettigrew home?" Remus asked politely.  
  
"Who are you?" The woman asked suspiciously.  
  
"We a are friends of Mr. Pettigrew. We would just like a word with Mrs. Pettigrew," Reena explained.  
  
The woman let them into the house and led them to a second floor parlor. A mousy looking woman sat quietly on the sofa. She looked up when Reena and Remus entered.  
  
"Who are you?" Mrs. Pettigrew asked, frightened.  
  
"Friends of Perry. We knew his older brother in school," Remus explained.  
  
"We were wondering if you could help us with something," Reena started.  
  
"With what? I have no idea where my husband is," Mrs. Pettigrew said, bursting into fresh tears.  
  
After she had stopped crying, Remus asked her another question.  
  
"So you know what happened to Perry's older brother?"  
  
"Yes, he was murdered. Perry still keeps the last remaining part in a box. It's morbid, but Perry wouldn't have it any other way," Mrs. Pettigrew answered innocently.  
  
"Do you know where the box is?" Reena asked excitedly.  
  
"Yes, but what do you want with it?" Mrs. Pettigrew asked suspiciously.  
  
"We work in forensics. We were working on a case about Peter, and we needed some DNA samples," Reena answered in Muggle terms that Remus did not understand.  
  
"Oh, in that case, let me get it for you. Follow me."  
  
The pair follwed Mrs. Pettigrew into a bedroom. She opened the top drawer of a dresser and let out a wail.  
  
"It's not here!" she exclaimed loudly. "Perry never moved it. I've been robbed!"  
  
The stuffy housekeeper came into the bedroom and shooed Reena and Remus out of the house. They apparated to London empty-handed. 


	20. Chapter 20

Reena and Remus sat in Professor Dumbledore's office. The room was quiet and tense.  
  
"It's not your fault that the finger could not be recovered. We have to accept that there could be 2 reasons for this. One, Perry was sleeper cell for the Death Eaters and ran away with the finger after the Ministry tried to get it. Second option, the finger was stolen and the thief kidnapped Perry to make sure he didn't reveal anything," Dumbledore speculated.  
  
"What do you mean sleeper cell?" remus asked.  
  
"It means he would not go to Death Eater meetings every time they were called. A sleeper would wait until he was specially summoned to do something," Dumbledore explained. "In any case, the sightings of Peter could not be ignored. Fudge has kindly decided to acknowledge the sightings and deal with it. He's hired an American to track Peter down. This is his specialty, so this American is going to take the lead of the case," Dumbledore said grimly.  
  
"I suggest that you 2 don't get involved in this case at all. Leave it to the expert," Dumbledore continued.  
  
Both agreed. * The next day, Reena sat at her desk looking over her work when someone knocked at the door. Maggie walked in.  
  
"The American investigator is here," Maggie said. Reena nodded and the American walked in.  
  
"Hi. I'm Jeff Zane," a blond hair, blue eyed man said as he stuck out his hand. Reena shook and motioned for him to sit down.  
  
"Reena Delton. How may I help you?"  
  
"I'm an envoy form the American Ministry here to track down Peter Pettigrew. I was referred to you by Minister Fudge," Jeff explained.  
  
"There's not much to explain and even less to work with. Peter is alive and working for Voldemort as his nurse," Reena told him straightforwardly.  
  
"I was under the impression Pettigrew was dead. What's the evidence that he's alive?" Jeff asked.  
  
"Testimony from 3 students. One if which is Harry Potter."  
  
"The Boy who lived? I've heard the kid has some loose screws," Jeff laughed.  
  
"No at all. I've met all 3 witnesses and they are all quite sane," Reena said coldly, liking this man less with each passing sentence.  
  
"I'll take your word for it. I have to meet with some other people. Could we continue this conversation later? Perhaps over dinner?" Jeff suggested.  
  
"I don't mix work and social activities," Reena told him in an icy tone as she walked him out of her office.  
  
The nerve of that man, Reena thought furiously. She thankfully remembered that was leaving all aspects of the Pettigrew case.  
  
A week later, Jeff Zane walked unannounced into Reena's office.  
  
"Reena darling, what is your interest in the Pettigrew case?" Jeff asked out of the blue.  
  
"First of all, don't call me Reena darling. Delton will work just fine. Second of all, what do you mean 'interest in the Pettigrew case'?"  
  
"I mean why do you want to capture him?"  
  
"The same reason as everybody else. We find Peter, we are led straight to Voldemort."  
  
"There are no personal reason?" Jeff prompted.  
  
"What the bloody hell are you getting at?"  
  
"In a meeting last year, you supported Albus Dmbledore in catching Pettigrew for the purpose of clearing the name of Sirius Black."  
  
"So what? I trust Professor Dumbledore's judgment enough to know he's right."  
  
"Why then support the innocence of Sirius Black?"  
  
"What does this have to do with anything?" I don't know the work ethic in America, but in England, we respect the privacy of our colleagues."  
  
"Should we discuss this later? Around 7 over dinner?"  
  
"GET OUT!!!" Reena roared.  
  
Jeff Zane did not seem to the message. Nearly everyday, he would walk into Reena's office and ask her out. Reena was on the verge of pulling out her wand and performing the killing curse on him.  
  
  
  
~ Reviews are appreciated! 


	21. Chapter 21

On September 1st, Reena apparated to the Dursley house. She walked upstairs and knocked on the only shut bedroom door.  
  
"Who is it?" a muffled voice asked.  
  
"Reena. Are you ready to go to school?"  
  
The door creaked open slightly. Harry's eyes peered out before opening the door all the way.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"I'm taking you to school. We'll miss the train if you don't hurry," Reena said.  
  
"Are you psychic of something? Uncle Vernon informed me this morning that he wouldn't drive me to London. I thought I was doomed," Harry told her.  
  
"That's what godmothers are for," Reena said with a twinkle in her eye.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Get all your things. We're apparating to London."  
  
Harry did what he was told and didn't ask anymore questions. When they arrived in Reena's flat, he was about to re-ask his question, but didn't have enough time.  
  
"Take that quill and parchment and write a letter to your relatives explaining where you are. Send it with Hedwig, she'll meet you later at school. I'm going to call a cab," Reena told him.  
  
Harry wrote a quick note and asked the question again as they hauled his stuff into the elevator.  
  
"You're my godmother?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, if you use the term loosely," Reena said.  
  
"Loosely? Why loosely?"  
  
"A godmother is supposed to look out for her godchild, like a second mother. I haven't done that for you, have I?"  
  
"You're pretty harsh on yourself. You've been pretty good for the last year, and that's long I've known you. "  
  
"You're sweet, but one year can't compare to 16 years of your life. If things had been different, I might have had the chance to act differently," Reena said as the cabby helped them load all of Harry's things.  
  
"Why would they have been different?"  
  
"When your parents died, Sirius went to get you out of the house. Hagrid came just as you and Sirius were about to leave. Dumbledore said it would be better for you to live with the Dursley's, so we lost our chance to raise you," Reena told him.  
  
"That's okay, I mean it would have been hard for you to raise me by yourslef with Sirius not there or anything," Harry reminded her.  
  
"You're right, but let's not dwell on the past," Reena said.  
  
They were quiet for the remainder of the ride to King's Cross Station. The cabby helped them unload and Reena led Harry to platform 9. They found the right barrier and walked into it. There were only a few other families on Platform 9 ¾.  
  
"I think we're early," Harry pointed out  
  
"That's okay. It will give you a chance to put your stuff away and claim a carriage. Oh, before I forget, let me give you something," Reena said as she rummaged through her handbag.  
  
She pulled out a bottle labeled Dennis Balfour's Developing Potion.  
  
"This will last for about 8 rolls of film," Reena told him.  
  
Harry thanked her and put it in his trunk. Reena levitated his things onto the train and they found an empty carriage. After leaving some belongings on the seat to mark the area, they went back onto the platform.  
  
"Harry! Harry!" a voice called out. Harry looked up to see Hermione walking his way. The 2 students quickly involved in conversation. Ron joined them a little bit later. The last boarding call was given and Reena said goodbye to harry and his friends. She waited on the platform until the train was out of sight. Other parents who also were on the platform threw Reena odd looks. Almost everyone stayed a good distance away from her. Being thrust back into reality, Reena silently disapparated from the platform. * "Remus, has Jeff Zane been hounding you for information regarding Peter's case?" Reena asked her friend.  
  
"No. I told him everything I knew and he left it at that. Why?"  
  
"The creep has been hanging around here, asking me on dates. I can't get him to understand I don't like him and am revolted by his very sight. Is there any way you could help me before I kill him?" Reena asked, only partly joking.  
  
"Let me talk to him. Don't do anything rash, okay?"  
  
Remus apparated to the Shrieking Shack, where Jeff had been stationed to work.  
  
"Hi Jeff. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Remus asked.  
  
"Go ahead. What's up?" Jeff replied good-naturedly.  
  
"Can I please ask you to keep your distance from Reena Delton? She doesn't go out on dates with people from work or people she barely knows. The last thing Reena wants is some strange man annoying her when she is involved in a lot of work," Remus told him.  
  
"Isn't she a bit you for you?" Jeff asked mischievously.  
  
"Pardon me?" Remus asked, surprised at the nature of the question.  
  
"You know, Reena can't be more than 20and I'm 25. You on the other hand Lupin, you have to be in your mid-thirties," Jeff concluded.  
  
"I believe it's the other way around. Reena and I were in school at the same time. And that's not why I am asking you to stay away from her," Remus said dryly.  
  
"Well she sure has maintained her good looks for her age," Jeff commented.  
  
"Reena is quite capable of getting rid of you. She has extraordinary skills in Defensive/Offensive charms. I wouldn't mess with her," Remus coolly informed Jeff, and disapparated.  
  
At the rate things were going for Reena, Remus thought, she's eventually going to write to Sirius. Then we'll really have a dead wizard on our hands.  
  
Remus found Reena buried in her office. He told her how his meeting with Jeff Zane went.  
  
"The nerve of that bastard," Reena furiously sputtered out, "what does he take me for? Just because I'm not visibly with someone, he automatically assumes that I'm going to go out with him? Disgusting."  
  
"I don't think he puts anybody in high regard," Remus commented about his interaction with Jeff.  
  
"I'm putting a compliant to Fudge. He could have had the decency to hire someone with a better work ethic," Reena said.  
  
Reena did write immediately to Fudge, telling him of the unprofessional and inappropriate of Jeff Zane. A few days later, Mr. Fudge wrote back telling Reena that Jeff was the cheapest investigator for his area of expertise. He went to say that he had also hired Jeff as a fovar to the American Ministry. Reena threw the reply into the fire and watched it crumble to ash. If the Ministry wouldn't do anything about personnel behavior, Reena would take care of herself, eventually.  
  
  
  
~ please write reviews 


	22. Chapter 22

Reena sat alone in her flat. She thought about the scrap of paper that had been left on her a bed a few months earlier. When was "someday soon" she thought. In the last few weeks, Reena had several dreams about Sirius. The dreams had been exactly the alike. In the dream, a very strong animal was attacking Reena. She was able to fight it off, but it continued to try and attack her. Sirius appeared out of nowhere and was able to get rid of the animal. Then Reena and Sirius vanished from sight.  
  
Reena thought the dream was strange, mostly because she couldn't remember most of her dreams. She didn't want to take this to a dream interpreter because she thought they were all frauds, just like so-called "Divination Experts". So she just rolled out of bed and got ready for work.  
  
Reena began dreading going to work. Jeff Zane was acting like a stalker. He wanted to shift his search from Peter to Sirius, but was delayed because he couldn't get proper permission to/ Reena was using every spare minute praying for Sirius' safety and that Jeff would never get permission to shift the case. * "Reena, what's the real reason you won't go out with me?" Jeff asked one day as she was talking to Maggie.  
  
"Besides the fact that I find you annoying, rude, and repulsive, several things. You insulted Remus and you are really unprofessional to name a few," Reena said dryly.  
  
"It's been what, some 15 years since Black's been gone, so what are you hanging on to?" Jeff asked as though it could be used as a threat.  
  
"What does Black have to do with anything? According to your calculation of my age, I was 5 when he was arrested," Reena told him curtly.  
  
"I did a background check on you. Lupin was right, you are older than I thought. And you have a history with Black," Jeff said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I'm proud that you thought to do something as simple as a background check," Reena said sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, come on. Stop playing hard to get, what are you scared of?" Jeff asked as he advanced towards her.  
  
Reena pulled out her wand and pointed it threateningly towards Jeff.  
  
"Come one step closer, or even try to ask me out again and I'll blow you up. I swear to God that I've had enough of your bullshit," Reena said in a deadly voice.  
  
Jeff slowly backed up and walked away. Maggie stood gaping at Reena.  
  
"He had it coming," Reena told Maggie and they continued their conversation.  
  
September slipped into October. Reena and Harry kept in regular touch by mail. The heat had lifted from the city and Reena was able to sleep more easily. The dream of her and Sirius still occurred every few days. Work was easier to go to now. Jeff Zane kept a distance form Reena, but always seemed to be around. * "Reena, please wake up," a voice asked Reena as she slept.  
  
Reena recognized the voice, but didn't want to open her eyes. If she did open her eyes and no one was there, it would be like he had left again. She took the chance and opened her eyes.  
  
There he was, sitting on the edge of bed, next Reena. She gazed up into his eyes and just looked in for several minutes. They broke the eye contact when Sirius turned the lamp on. Reena saw he was dressed in a suit and had a stylish haircut. His face was tanned and didn't have a hollow look.  
  
"C'mon Reena, we have to hurry," Sirius said as he helped her out of bed.  
  
"Sirius, where do we have to go? It's the middle of the night and the Ministry is still looking for you."  
  
"We're getting married. Do you something nice to wear?"  
  
Reena stood perfectly still and absorbed what she had just heard. Sirius had been gone for over a year and Reena and spent most of that time readjusting to life without him.  
  
"Sirius, if we go out in public, someone's bound to notice you. I can't let you put yourself in that kind of danger."  
  
"There's no danger. I found a chapel in Scotland. The priest doesn't ask many questions. It's perfect for us," Sirius said excitedly.  
  
Reena walked to her closet and pulled out something. It was a long white dress with net sleeves. It wasn't quite a wedding dress, bud it was one of the best dresses she owned.  
  
"Give me a minute to get ready," she told Sirius as she walked into the bathroom. 5 minutes later, she emerged. Sirius was surprised at how she had managed to make herself so glamorous in a few minutes.  
  
The dress fit perfectly. It didn't have any ruffles or layers and had a simple and elegant look. Reena hardly wore nay makeup, but she still looked gorgeous. For a dramatic effect, Reena left her waist length hair down, She had a thin braid on each side of her head that were pulled and clasped at the back of her head. She looked like a dazzling medieval princess.  
  
"Are you ready?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Yes. No, wait a second. Accio jewel box," Reena said pointing towards her night table.  
  
The small jewelry box cam towards them and Reena opened it. She took something out and put the box back in its place.  
  
"I'm ready now," she told Sirius.  
  
Reena held his hand and let him apparate them out of the flat. Sirius had apparated them to a country land. A dim light could be seen in the distance. The cool, crisp October air sent shivers down Reena's spine.  
  
"It's just a short walk. I didn't want to scare anybody who may be inside," Sirius explained.  
  
"Okay. Sirius, where have you been?"  
  
"Everywhere. I was here for a few weeks, that's how I found out about the priest. I was in the Black Forest for another couple of weeks. Yukon Territory for a month. Dumbledore said Mexico would be safe, so I went there. Then I went to Brazil. I've been there since mid-December."  
  
"Brazil? Is that where you picked up this nice tan?" Reena asked nicely.  
  
"Yeah. I found work as a laborer. They didn't know who I was, so the job was easy to get. Am I more recognizable?"  
  
"Yes. You look like you did before you were arrested. I'm glad you're back," she whispered.  
  
The church was quite small, but the lights were still on, so they walked in. Nobody was in, so they walked around until Reena found an office. She knocked.  
  
"Who is it?" an elderly male voice asked.  
  
"May I come in?"  
  
"One moment."  
  
The door opened and a priest around 70 years of age stood in front of Reena and Sirius. Sirius approached him.  
  
"Could you marry us?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, of course," the priest answered. He began walking towards the altar. Sirius and Reena followed him. Sirius suddenly bent down and whispered in Reena's ear.  
  
"I need your ring. I don't have another one."  
  
Reena took the silver ring off and gave it to him. The priest had reached the altar. He stopped and turned towards the couple.  
  
"It's very late, so I'm not going to give a long sermon. Are you both certain you want to get married?" the priest asked.  
  
Both nodded fervently.  
  
"May I ask how long you 2 young people have been engaged?"  
  
"16 years" they answered in unison.  
  
They priest asked them a few basic questions and began with the ceremony.  
  
"Do you, Reena Delton, take this man to be your husband?"  
  
"I do"  
  
"Do you, Sirius Black, take this woman to be your wife?"  
  
"I do"  
  
"If you have rings, please exchange them."  
  
Sirius took the silver ring he had put in his pocket and slipped it onto Reena's finger. He was about to retract his hand and let the priest continue, but Reena took his hand. She slipped a silver band onto his 4th finger.  
  
"Marriage is a lifetime commitment. May your lives be filled with happiness and love. Mr. Black, you may now kiss your wife," the priest finished off.  
  
Sirius bent down and kissed Reena. It was brief, but beautiful.  
  
"Please, according to law, you must sign some paperwork," the priest said, guiding them back to his office.  
  
There were several papers that the couple had to sign, but they did it very quickly. They wanted to leave as soon as possible. A feeling of panic hit Sirius.  
  
"Father, can these papers be kept confidential?" he asked.  
  
"It is possible, but it will be completely sealed. If you fill out any other legal forms, you cannot say you are married. It will not be recognized by the state. Are you willing to that?"  
  
"Yes, Father. It's not a matter of will but a matter of great importance."  
  
"It will be arranged," the priest confirmed.  
  
Reena and Sirius left the church and walked down the unpaved lane. They were quiet for a little while, but then started a converstation.  
  
"Where did you get the ring?" Sirius asked curiously.  
  
"It was my father's. I saved it and had it re-sized. Do you like it?"  
  
"Yeah, I just didn't know you had a ring. I thought whisking you off in the middle of the night would be a surprise."  
  
"It was, but I've wanted to get married as long as you have, so I kept the ring close by."  
  
"D'you get my letter?"  
  
"Yes, but I thought you were living among Muggles in Brazil. How did you send your lengthy letter?"  
  
"I met a wizard on one of the job sites. I saw him using a wand a couple of times. He recognized me, but promised to keep quiet. He let me use his messenger bird so I could reach you. I couldn't afford paper or a pen cause I spent all my wages on food. I found some shreds of paper on the street and took the foreman's pen."  
  
"I was happy to get it anyway," she said, hugging him as they apparated back to the flat.  
  
  
  
~What do you think so far? 


	23. Chapter 23

Reena woke up the next morning. The sun hadn't quite risen and the bedroom was dark, tinted with blue. She was facing Sirius and his arm was around her. He looked so peaceful when he slept. Worry, fear, and anger were all erased from his face. Reena lay in bed and marveled at how handsome Sirius was.  
  
Sirius opened his eyes. The first image he saw was of Reena's face. They didn't say anything and lightly kissed. Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as though he was trying to breathe in Reena's very essence.  
  
"What're we going to do?" Reena asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"I don't know. I don't want to leave, but that's the inevitable," Sirius said scornfully.  
  
"I know. How long can you stay here?"  
  
"If I'm quiet and don't leave the flat, a week at the most. Worse case, I'll have to leave today."  
  
"I have to go to work today," Reena said miserably.  
  
"It's a good idea to. You don't want to make anyone suspicious by not showing up. But why are you so glum?" Sirius asked gently.  
  
"There's this American fellow Fudge has hired to track Peter. The man's a pig, he won't leave me alone. I hate him so much, but he won't go away. The other week, it seemed like he was going to use my past to blackmail me or something," Reena spilled, her voice in a depressed tone.  
  
"Has the bastard done anything else to you?' Sirius asked, his voice telling Reena of his anger.  
  
"Nothing else. Remus even asked him to leave me alone and it didn't work."'  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Sirius apologized, holding her close. "Let me deal with him."  
  
"No Sirius, you can't. He's been dying to get permission to track you. If he sees you, he'll send you back to Azkaban," Reena said, her voice getting panicky.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be careful. I'm going to stay here, I won't leave until you get back from work."  
  
Reena managed to get out of bed and into the shower. Sirius got up and made a modest breakfast of toast and coffee. They ate in quiet bliss. Reena reluctantly left for work.  
  
Reena spent her whole day wanting to go home. It took all of her concentration to keep her attention on her work. When she saw Remus, it took a lot of self-control to keep quiet. Since she and Sirius hadn't told anyone about their engagement, Reena thought it best to keep the wedding under wraps. At 5:30, when most of the other Ministry staff left to go home, Reena apparated out of the office. She couldn't wait to get home.  
  
Sirius sat in the flat, driving himself crazy. There were only so many times a person could organize the kitchen cupboards and bathroom shelves. The sheer boredom of being alone and having nothing to do annoyed him. So did the fact that some guy out there was thinking that Reena was a free-for-all.  
  
Reena came to the flat to find Sirius sprawled out on the sofa.  
  
"Hi Sirius," Reena greeted with a hug and kiss.  
  
"Hey baby. I was wondering when you'd come home. How was work?" Sirius asked Reena with a n equally warm greeting.  
  
"Simply mundane. I couldn't wait to come home."  
  
"Hey Reen, tell me about this creep that the Ministry hired."  
  
"He's horrible. What do you want to know?"  
  
"What does he look like, what's his personality like?"  
  
"His name is Jeff Zane, he's an American. He has blond hair, blue eyes, average build, and is about 5 foot, 11 inches."  
  
"That should be no problem," Sirius, who was well over 6 foot 5, said, "Do you know where he lives?"  
  
"I spend my time avoiding him, not trying to find out more about him. I do know that he's been given space to work in the Shrieking Shack."  
  
"That's all I need to know." * The night inside the flat was quiet, except for Reena's fluttering breath, which ensured Sirius that she was sleeping. He apparated out of the flat and onto the grounds of the Shrieking Shack. Not many people knew the Shrieking Shack as well as Sirius, and he knew there were bedrooms on the 2nd floor. Sirius apparated himself to the 2nd floor and looked around. There were 3 doors and only 1 was shut. He turned the doorknob and found the room unlocked.  
  
The room was dark, so Sirius couldn't see much. However, he did see some small objects within an arm's length. He picked them up and started throwing them against the wall. A rustling noise came from a corner in the room gave Sirius the response he wanted.  
  
"Who's there?" a scared voice asked, "Lumos."  
  
Sirius stood in the doorway, leaning against the door frame.  
  
"It's only me," Sirius responded in a bone-chilling tone. "I have a bone to pick with you Zane. If you don't want me to get angry, and you don't, stay away from Reena. If I ever hear again that you're asking her out, or even bothering, I'll come and hurt you myself."  
  
Sirius walked towards Jeff as he spoke.  
  
"Don't have a wand, do you Black? I suppose yours was snapped when you went to Azkaban," Jeff replied smugly.  
  
"I don't need a wand Zane. I'll come and kill you with my bare hands," Sirius responded.  
  
He watched raw fear fill Jeff's eyes.  
  
"Do you understand?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Y-y-yes," stuttered Jeff as he cowered in his corner, shielding himself with his arms from he perceived to be eminent danger.  
  
  
  
~Reviews? 


	24. Chapter 24

"Sirius, can we talk?" Reena asked sweetly.  
  
"Of course. Anything in particular or should we discuss the migratory patterns of seagulls?"  
  
"You know how you told Harry he could live with you after you were cleared, did you have your mother's house in mind?"  
  
"In fact, I did. I saw the house last year. Nobody lives there and everything inside looks untouched. It needs a good clean up, but I'd ideally like to live there eventually.  
  
"That's a great idea We'll finally have a house together," Reena sighed contentedly.  
  
"I know. Can you do me a favor?"  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
"If you have some spare time, could you start cleaning the house? Maybe you could stay there in the summer holiday with Harry? It would give me a great place to hideout."  
  
"I can try. Maybe next summer you'll be free."  
  
"It would be nice, but I wouldn't count on it."  
  
"We can always hope, can't we?"  
  
"I don't see why not, but it's only a set up for disappointment."  
  
"I couldn't disagree more." *  
  
Reena was in a meeting with a group of Cabinet members when Jeff barged in.  
  
"Delton, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Jeff screamed.  
  
"Stupefy" Reena said as she pointed her wand towards Jeff. He stood completely still. The Cabinet members gathered around him.  
  
"What the devil was that all about Ms Delton?" Mr. Julius asked.  
  
"I have no idea sir. May I be excused to my office to clarify what is going on?" Reena asked her superior.  
  
"Please do. The rest of us will proceed with the meeting."  
  
Reena levitated the frozen Jeff to her office. Maggie gave Reena a strange look, but didn't say anything. Reena muttered the counter curse and Jeff came back to life.  
  
"Delton, what did you have Sirius Black do?' Jeff loudly asked.  
  
"Shut up Zane. There's no one here to impress."  
  
"Where did everybody go?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"Fine, whatever. What did you have Sirius Black do last night?"  
  
"Is this relevant to anything?"  
  
"Yes. Sirius Black broke into my lodgings last night and threatened to kill me."  
  
"You ought to be more careful of who your enemies are."  
  
"I know you were involved with it Delton. He mentioned your name and told me to stay away from you."  
  
"Then why aren't you listening to him?"  
  
"That's not the point. If I mentioned I saw Sirius Black to any other Cabinet member, they would give me permission to track him down. Why aren't you?"  
  
"You don't have solid proof he threatened you last night. And, unlike my colleagues, I knew Sirius Black. He wouldn't do anything like that unless he was provoked. So, the question is, what did you do to provoke him?"  
  
"I've never met him before, so I couldn't have done anything. Why are you protecting a convicted criminal?"  
  
"I'm not protecting anyone. If anything, Sirius Black is able to protect himself without anyone's aid. Anyway, I would never give you permission to track him, or for that matter, no one would."  
  
"Why's that?" Jeff asked defensively.  
  
"You were hired in July to track Peter Pettigrew. It's now October and you haven't the faintest idea where he is. Explain yourself."  
  
"Uh, well, there's a perfectly good reason for that."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Pettigrew hasn't left a trail of any kind. He seems to have just disappeared."  
  
"That's no excuse. Azkaban is home to many Death Eaters who were caught in the last year. They were all traced. Have you been doing any work?"  
  
"What kind of question is that? Of course I've been working."  
  
"I'm going to launch an official inquiry to why you haven't been able to find Peter. You're free to go now. Oh, and one more thing, if you leave my office and start screaming again, I'll make your career a living hell."  
  
  
  
  
  
~I love hearing your opinions. 


	25. Chapter 25

"Sirius, what did you do?" Reena asked as soon as she came home.  
  
Sirius was sitting reading The Daily Prophet.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked calmly.  
  
"Did you go and pay a small visit to Jeff Zane?" she demanded.  
  
"No, I've been here all day," he replied innocently.  
  
"Private investigators don't go around screaming around the office that Sirius Black tried to kill him."  
  
"Oh, that private investigator. I made a small social call yesterday," Sirius said casually.  
  
"Sirius, you can't do that! Don't forget you're one of the most wanted people in the world. Popping into an investigator's lodgings isn't going to help attain your freedom."  
  
"What the hell am I supposed to do Reena?" Sirius said on the verge of shouting, "Am I supposed to watch and sit by while some other guy tries to get you? Will you at least let me control part of my life?"  
  
"What part of your life am I controlling? You're free to do whatever you want."  
  
Sirius walked into the bedroom and slammed the door. Reena threw a CD in the stereo and started flipping through a magazine without looking at any of the pages. Both Reena and Sirius had quick tempers. During the last year, when Reena had seen Sirius on-and-off, they had never argued. This spat gave Reena a feeling that things were settling in. Take the good with the bad because life isn't fuzzy bunnies, that was Reena's philosophy. As dusk fell, Reena conjured a sandwich and took a soda out of the fridge. She walked down the corridor and knocked on the bedroom door.  
  
"Can I come in?"  
  
There was no response, so Reena just waited patiently. She had been in enough fights to know that keeping space was vital for good relationships. She retreated back to the living room. Another half-hour passed. She went back with the sandwich and soda.  
  
"Sirius, I have something to eat if you're hungry. If not, I'm in the living room."  
  
Still no response. She settled on back on the sofa and put another CD on. The rest of the flat was so quiet that Reena wasn't sure if Sirius was still there.  
  
Reena opened her eyes and looked at the clock above the television. It revealed that she had been sleeping for the last 2 hours.  
  
"You're so beautiful when you're sleeping," a voice commented.  
  
Reena's heart skipped a beat. She didn't realize that someone else was in the living room, out of sight from her curled position. She uncurled and looked up. Sirius was siting on the other end of the sofa, a half-eaten sandwich in had.  
  
"You're still here?" she responded.  
  
"Where else am I going to go?"  
  
"Sorry, that's not what I meant."  
  
"I know. I didn't go anywhere."  
  
Reena moved closer to him.  
  
"I just wanted to say that I have to do stuff as your husband to protect you. I'm willing to take risks in order to do that."  
  
"Is this something you want me to expect?"  
  
"I cant tell you what to accept and what not to. I know that you've been capable of taking care of yourself while I was gone, but I'm here now."  
  
Reena had no immediate response. She knew Sirius was right. The years she had been alone set up a shield. It was her way of adjusting to her loss of security. The shield that had taken so long to build wouldn't fall immediately.  
  
"You've never done anything like that before," she pointed out.  
  
"Well, 'before' nobody did anything. Everybody knew if they messed with you, I'd eventually get involved. That little punk thought things had changed," Sirius replied.  
  
"They have. To the rest of the world, you're just a convict with no heart or soul. We somehow have to change that."  
  
  
  
~Thank you for the reviews so far. 


	26. Chapter 26

The weekend arrived and gave Reena and Sirius more time together. Or so they thought. Creaking steps in her flat woke her up. She saw Sirius leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Lumos" she groggily said as she walked out of bed, armed with her wand, and into the corridor.  
  
"Sirius, where are you going?" she called out softly.  
  
Sirius turned around, cursing under his breath for waking Reena up. Before she had time to say anything more, Sirius walked up very close to her.  
  
"I have to go. They're closing in," Sirius told her in a slightly paranoid way.  
  
"Sirius, who exactly are 'they'?" Reena asked, thinking her husband was off his rocker.  
  
"Aurors, investigators, dementors, the police. I can sense when they're close," Sirius said not wasting breath on more detail.  
  
"This is a Muggle neighborhood. It's not uncommon for the police to drive around at night," Reena reminded him.  
  
"I'm not stupid," he snapped. "I've spent the last few years sensing when they're coming close. It's a sixth sense I've picked up. If I stay any longer, I'll be re-arrested and you'll go to jail too."  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I can't tell you. I'm not putting you in that position if they question you again. Fingerprints, hair, clothing,. It's all been cleaned. I haven't left any magical residue 'cause I haven't used any except to disapparate."  
  
"Well then, I guess you should stop delaying and leave," Reena said, keeping up a strong face.  
  
There was an uncomfortable pause. Sirius wasn't moving anywhere because he felt awful for leaving Reena again. Reena had spent a great amount of time mentally prepping herself for Sirius' next exit. Finally, someone said something.  
  
"Er, I have to go," Sirius said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Alright. Take care of yourself," Reena told him as she embraced him.  
  
There were no more parting words. Sirius disapparated silently. Reena went back to bed, trying to stay unaffected by they rush of emotion cause by his absence. *  
  
"In conclusion, I believe that Jeffery Zane should be released for his lack of assistance in finding Peter Pettigrew," Reena addressed her Cabinet colleagues in a short, yet concise speech.  
  
"Do you know what the financial drain of Mr. Zane has been to the Ministry?" a mild mannered wizard asked.  
  
"As of now, Zane is being paid 50 galleons a week. The Ministry is covering housing and food expenses as well as any materials needed to track Pettigrew," Reena answered.  
  
"These are very serious advantages Mr. Zane has been taking. What do you suggest we do with him?" Mr. Julius asked.  
  
"I think it would not be harsh to fine him, fire him, and take further actions," Reena answered quickly.  
  
"The man's been working here for 11 weeks, do you think it wise we do this?" another wizard asked.  
  
"11 weeks should be enough for him to file a few progression reports. He has not done this nor has he given any proof that he's been working. 11 weeks of pay is 550 galleons. That's only 5 less galleons than what we make a week as Cabinet members. He has no evidence that he's been working," Reena answered thoroughly.  
  
"Is there any personal angle to this Reena?" Cabinet member Rick Dawson asked, clearly trying to find out if Sirius was involved.  
  
"Rick, I separate my personal and professional lives. But since you mentioned it, Zane has acted inappropriately. Even after being told to go away, he continued to act inappropriately. He went against common workplace etiquette," Reena pointed out.  
  
"The fact that he hasn't proved he's been working is proof enough to release Zane. I'll set up a hearing at a later to day to see if the fines are really necessary," Mr. Julius said.  
  
"Thank you," Reena said stiffly as she left the meeting with the other wizards. Revenge was hard to get when you followed the rules. Reena sat down in her office to analyze a stack of papers that Maggie had left on her desk.  
  
These were reports that Remus and some other wizards had prepared. All reported that Peter had not been seen for the last eight months, except for the few sightings in July. A note from Remus said that Peter might be protected by the Fidelious charm. Another report also noted that Peter's brother was still missing.  
  
This case was the most perplexing Reena had ever come across in her career. The most solid evidence didn't make any sense. Why would a man who wants to stay hidden reveal himself across in random areas? Reena was no Auror and she knew it. She needed outside help, but there were few people she could trust for this situation. * Hogsmeade was deserted on the Wednesday evening. There hardly seemed to be a soul on the streets. Reena caught herself wishing for that feeling of someone watching her, but it didn't come. She ridiculed herself for thinking that Sirius would seek refuge in the wizarding village.  
  
The walk to Hogwarts allowed Reena to organize her thoughts. She used the gigantic knocker on the door. Professor Snape answered.  
  
"Please come in Ms. Delton," he said as she walked into the school.  
  
"Thanks. I need to see Professor Dumbledore," she told Snape as he closed the door.  
  
He led her through the corridors and stairways until they reached the gargoyle. It was very tense between Snape and Reena. They had despised each other in school and had never been on friendly terms. The fact that Reena was Sirius' love didn't help either. Through the corridors, Reena silently remembered the days when Snape would taunt and harass her for her Muggle lineage and Lily for being a Muggle-born.  
  
"Peanut Brittle" was the password. The gargoyle moved and Snape led the way in.  
  
"Headmaster, Ms. Delton from the Ministry is here to see you," Snape told Dumbledore.  
  
"Thank you Serverus," he thanked kindly and Snape left. "How are you Ms. Delton?" Dumbledore asked, turning to Reena.  
  
"Fine, thanks, Professor, I have a cause that I'm working on and I'm not sure where to start. Can you help me?"  
  
" I can try my best. What is the case?"  
  
"It's the Peter Pettigrew case. There's been no trace of him, then he suddenly appears all around the country. Is there any explanation for this?"  
  
"There's an infinite number of answers. I only have a small scope of what may be a possibility. My personal belief is that Peter is trying to bring attention to himself. He may want to be captured. If Voldemort is growing physically stronger, he has no need for Peter. As is his nature, Peter will be trying to find someone to protect him. The other possibility is not as nice. Voldemort could be using Peter as bait to draw people closer. It would be another murdering technique. Either way, you have to approach the case very carefully."  
  
"Do you think many people would fall into the trap?"  
  
"I don't think so. Regular wizards would think it a hoax and all the Auror know to be careful with any dealings with Peter. Why are you so concerned with this case? Isn't there someone specialized working on it?"  
  
"Not for long if I know my audience," Reena said ambiguously.  
  
"I take it that you plan to send Mr. Zane back to America," Dumbledore concluded.  
  
"Exactly. I don't want the case to disappear, so I'll pick it up for a time."  
  
"May I make a suggestion Ms. Delton?"  
  
"Please do Professor."  
  
"Let Remus take the case. He has a background in Defense against the Dark Arts. He also doesn't have a job at present."  
  
"I'll give the case to Remus, but what about the task force? Isn't he still on that?" Reena asked concerndly about her friend.  
  
"The task force doesn't pay very well, close to nothing. Almost everyone on the task force is holding their regular job. Due to his condition, Remus didn't have a job to begin with."  
  
"Thank you professor."  
  
"Your welcome." 


	27. Chapter 27

Reena left the school grounds and apparated to quiet country lane. A few meters away, there was a white picket fence and a sign that read "the Den". Behind the fence were several well-tended flowerbeds and a small, weather-worn house. Unlike most Muggle houses, the Den did not have a driveway. The unassuming fence was charmed with Muggle repellents and could only be opened with a wand, although it was low enough to jump over. Reena did the civilized thing and opened the gate with her wand. The gate automatically closed and locked behind her. A short walkway to the door allowed visitors to marvel at the colorful flowers. The front door did not budge open with any known spell. During his bouts of unemployment, Remus had formulated a mew locking charm and did not register it. He thought it was in his best interest to protect people from breaking in. One had to ring an ordinary door bell so that Remus could let whoever in.  
  
Reena rang the bell ad waited. Enough time had passed that she thought Remus wasn't home. As she was about to leave the front porch and go down the country lane to dissaperate (The Den and property were areas where apperating/dissaperating were inpossible), Remus opened the door. He was pale and looked very tired, other than that, he face did not display any type of feeling.  
  
"Hello," he greeted in his hoarse voice, except it was unusually hoarse and it looked like he used most of his energy to speak the one word.  
  
""Is this a good time to speak with you?" Reena asked concerndly.  
  
"No, no. Come in," he said motioning for her to step inside the house.  
  
Reena followed him through the house and into the sitting room. His house was impeccably clean and filled with interesting things. Specimens of dark creatures sat perfectly preserved in jars and there were books everywhere. The walls of the house had several magical paintings. He had acquired them from the art gallery his parents owned in Diagon Alley when they were alive. Remus flung himself into a wing chair and motioned to another chair where a pile of books rested. Reena moved the books and sat down.  
  
Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It seemed a long time before he opened his eyes and exhaled.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" Reena asked skeptically of his previous answer.  
  
"Full moon last night. I just need sometime to recover. Remember when we were in school?" Remus asked wearily.  
  
"Yeah, who could forget? You were almost always wiped out for days," Reena responded.  
  
Remus' face lit up with a faint smile. "I know. I'm only down for about a day now. What did you want to talk about?"  
  
"I have a case that I can't work on. Do you want to head it?"  
  
"What case?"  
  
"Peter's. I was impressed by your reports. I think you would be successful."  
  
"What about Jeff Zane? Isn't this his job?"  
  
"Not anymore. He's getting his release notice as we speak. You know yourself that nobody else could do the job."  
  
"Sirius could. He's a genius at this type of stuff."  
  
"I know. But you you've been doing this since you were a professor. Could you at least consider the position?"  
  
Remus managed to give a small laugh before speaking. "Reena, I'll take the job. You don't have to convince me, God knows I need the job."  
  
"Thanks Remus. This means a lot to me," she said as she stood to leave.  
  
"Please, can you stay for a little bit. I need to ask you some things."  
  
"Sure," Reena said as she sat down again.  
  
"Accio tea tray," Remus said, pointing his wand to a tray sitting in his dining table. The tray floated over to a coffee table between the two chairs.  
  
"Tea?" Remus asked.  
  
"Can I have some coffee?"  
  
"Whatever you like," he said, pointing the tip of his wand over the mug. A stream of dark coffee came out of the tip. He filled his own mug with tea. As they prepared their hot drinks to their liking, Remus took a few sips of his tea before he said anything.  
  
"Reena, can I ask you for some advice?" he asked rather shyly.  
  
"Go ahead, what can I help with?"  
  
"I met a girl last year when I was up North. And I really like her. Where am I supposed to go from there?"  
  
"Does she know about your condition?'  
  
There was a slight pause before he spoke. "No."  
  
"Remus, exactly how long have you been seeing her?"  
  
"On and off since last August. We don't see each other often because of her work schedule."  
  
"She hasn't seen you during a full moon?"  
  
"I've always managed not to be around her on a full moon. Since we don't see each other on a regular schedule, it's not strange that we haven't seen each other on a full moon."  
  
"You have to tell her if you want to get more serious. Exactly where do you want to elevate your relationship?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but it doesn't seem fair not to tell her."  
  
"How do you think she'll react?"  
  
"She's a sensible girl, really smart. She won't act like a 15th century peasant, but I don't want her to break it off."  
  
"You have to go with you main feeling. I don't know what else to tell you."  
  
"I just needed to get someone's opinion."  
  
"That's what friends are for."  
  
"Can I ask you another question?"  
  
"Go ahead,"  
  
"Have you seen Sirius lately?"  
  
"Yes I have," she stated plainly, leaving out any details to why he had come back for a short time.  
  
"Anymore details?" Remus asked, intrigued that Sirius had not contacted him as well.  
  
"What else can I say? He stayed for a few days then he had to go."  
  
"No much on words, eh? You know, I've always looked up to yours and Sirius' relationship. It's like the perfect model."  
  
"Sirius and I? What about James and Lily? They had the pinnacle of all relationships."  
  
"In a certain aspect, they did. But you and Sirius have that type of relationship for patience. I mean, you had a 2 year gap between your graduations. Then you have a period of 14 years where you don't see each other, yet that night when I came for him, both of you seemed like nothing had change. That was the night I realized how lonely I was. After that, I kept asking myself why I couldn't have something like that."  
  
It hurt Reena to see her friend like this. He was such a nice fellow who didn't deserve the loneliness he had.  
  
"I think you should tell this girl. If you really love her, you should be honest."  
  
"I'm scared as hell to how she'll react. She's educated, but you know how most people think of me."  
  
"You should do it. If she's educated, she'll know you take the wolfsbane potion. You're harmless and if she doesn't know this, then maybe she really doesn't know you."  
  
"You're right, but it's still scary."  
  
With a few more words of encouragement, Reena left her friend to recover at home. The thought of Remus having someone to love gave Reena a happy feeling. It also brought a feeling of Reena's own loneliness that she had suppressed so often.  
  
  
  
  
  
~If you're reading this and haven't reviewed yet, please do! 


	28. Chapter 28

The next day was lovely. Bright sunshine streamed into Reena's office. As Reena gave some last minute instructions to Remus, the office door flung open.  
  
"What the hell is this?" Jeff Zane loudly asked, standing in the door frame, waving a piece of parchment wildly in his hands.  
  
"Mr. Zane, I would gladly discuss whatever you wish if you made an appointment with Maggie. I'm in a meeting right now with Mr. Lupin," Reena said calmly.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere until you explain why I received this letter at 6 am this morning," Zane said, as if it were a threat.  
  
Remus glanced at Reena. "I don't mind sharing my appointment with him," Remus said passively.  
  
"Fine." Reena muttered under her breath. She turned to Jeff Zane. Her voice changed drastically to a sharp tone.  
  
"You've been fired. Deal with it Mr. Zane. You were inefficient, didn't follow procedure, and were draining Ministry funds. You should consider yourself lucky that Mr. Julius informed me yesterday afternoon that you wouldn't be fined for fraud. You were given sufficient time to clean out the Shrieking Shack, please leave my office now, I have better things to do than sit and listen to you whine."  
  
Jeff stormed out of the office without another word.  
  
"I'm sorry about that Remus. I think his behavior speaks for himself. Do you have any questions before you start?" Reena asked.  
  
"Just one thing. What resources do I . . ." Remus was cut off abruptly by a loud voice coming from the bustling of the people outside of Reena's office.  
  
"Reena Delton is harboring Sirius Black" Jeff Zane's charmed voice announced in a booming voice to everyone present at the particular Ministry office.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~Please Review! 


	29. Chapter 29

"Dear God" Reena whispered in a barely audible voice, yet her composure was intact.  
  
Maggie rushed into the office.  
  
"Um, Reena, there's a bit of a situation out here. Do you want anything?"  
  
"Could you be a dear and freeze him? I'll deal with it in a minute."  
  
"I think I've got everything I need. Thanks for this," Remus thanked.  
  
"No problem, good luck," Reena said as she shook his hand.  
  
As Remus disapparated, Reena walked into the hallway. Therewas still a commotion about Jeff Zane's statement, but it cleared out when Reena came around.  
  
"He's so spiteful, isn't he?" Reena asked a witch standing close to Jeff.  
  
"What do you think he was trying to do?" the witch asked in return.  
  
"Absolutely nothing. He's just rude like that."  
  
Reena pointed her wand toward the frozen Jeff and levitated him to Mr. Julius' office. As his assistant saw what Reena was bringing, he let Reena into the office without any questions.  
  
"Reena, what have you done with Mr. Zane?" Mr. Julius asked, not taking his eyes off the frozen figure.  
  
"It's not what I've done to him but what he's done to me. Didn't you just hear what he did?"  
  
"No, my office is charmed to reduce outside noise. What has he done?"  
  
"He announced to the whole office that I'm harboring Sirius Black. He was furious at the time because we fired him."  
  
"Reena, please undo the curse so we can manage this like adults."  
  
Reena reluctantly performed the counter curse and Jeff Zane unfroze.  
  
"Why do you keep doing that?" Zane roared at Reena.  
  
"We are to manage this like adults?" Reena asked her superior sarcastically.  
  
"Mr. Zane and Ms. Delton, please take a seat. We are going to resolve this now," Mr. Julius ordered forcefully. "Mr. Zane, no doubt you have received a letter explaining why we don't need your services anymore. Can you please explain you current actions?"  
  
"Sirius Black cane to my quarters and threatened to kill me if I talked to Reena. The only reason he would do something is if she told him to. Their past supports my claim," Zane said maliciously.  
  
"Mr. Zane, I'm not aware of Black's current whereabouts. I am certain of Black's and Reena's past and she had nothing to do with his dark activities," Mr. Julius corrected.  
  
"Do you stupid English people understand what I'm saying? An escaped murderer broke into where I was staying and threatened me!" Zane bellowed.  
  
"We understand perfectly," Reena snapped, "However, you have no solid evidence to back your claim. So whatever you saw could have been a dream for all we know."  
  
"I'm inclined to agree with Ms. Delton. I think it would be best if you went back to America Mr. Zane," Mr. Julius suggested.  
  
"Fine, your government is insufficient to deal with such an event. I'll take it back to my own government," Zane said as he disapperated out of the office.  
  
Mr. Julius let out a big sigh after Zane disapperated.  
  
"We really needed him," he said regretfully.  
  
"What do you mean?" Reena asked.  
  
"Zane was a type of ambassador. Our relations with the States are very strained. Once Zane tells his government that we aren't investigating his claim, they will be on our backs until we do. They're pushy like that, the Americans."  
  
"Will you launch another investigation?:  
  
"Do he have a founded reason of saying you were harboring Black?"  
  
"I find it insulting that I should even have to be asked. The official questioning ended years ago."  
  
"I apologize, but to people who don't know you, it would seem rather suspicious. You were one of the few people who spoke out for his innocence and his girlfriend."  
  
"Guilt by association? I would never change my views. You'll see I'm right when we catch Peter," Reena said as she left Mr. Julius' office.  
  
"For you sake I hope so," Mr. Julius coolly replied. 


	30. Chapter 30

It was hardly 5 am and someone was knocking on Reena's door. Who the hell goes around at 5 waking people up Reena thought sleepily. Through the viewing hole in the door, Reena saw 2 unfamiliar men. She saw a Ministry insignia on their jackets and opened the door.  
  
"Yes, how may I help you?" Reena asked politely, although she felt half- asleep.  
  
"Sorry to disturb you Ms. Delton, but we have a warrant to search around your flat," one of the men replied. He handed Reena a piece of parchment.  
  
"What for?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Any signs of Sirius Black. We were given information that he might have been around here," the second man answered.  
  
As the men went around the flat, Reena read the warrant she had been handed. It was what the second man had said it was for. The warrant had been signed by Mr. Julius.  
  
"Hey Chris, you'd better come look at this," the second man called.  
  
Reena followed Chris into the bedroom. The second man was standing next to an open chest of drawers.  
  
"What is it Allen?" Chris asked.  
  
"Men's clothing. It smells freshly laundered."  
  
Reena stood next to the dresser and glanced at the 2 wizards. Allen, realizing that angering a Cabinet witch could be a threat to his career, asked Reena a question.  
  
"Is there a valid explanation?"  
  
"In fact, there is," Reena told hom. "Look between the clothing. Those white things are dryer sheets. They're things Muggles use to keep clothes smelling nice."  
  
"Why do you men's clothing at all?" Chris asked.  
  
"He didn't exactly have time to pack his things when he went to Azkaban," Reena said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry Ms. Delton, but it's all routine."  
  
"Did you have to come so early?" she demanded.  
  
"It's not part of the routine to call ahead," Allen answered.  
  
"Fine. Have you taken enough notes about my flat?"  
  
Chris opened up her closet and poked his wand on the back wall. The wall disappeared and revealed another closet behind the real one. Sirius had magically placed the second closet so that he would have space to hang his things when Reena moved in.  
  
"What is this?" Chris asked, as though he had just stumbled on a big crime scene.  
  
"It's a closet," Reena said, stating the obvious.  
  
"With male clothing," Chris said accusingly.  
  
"Believe me, I know our laws quite well, and there's nothing illegal with keeping clothing."  
  
"But aren't these Sirius Black's things?"  
  
"So? Didn't he wear normal clothing before he was carted off?"  
  
The 2 inspectors were in not mood to argue, so they went back to looking around the flat. Sirius' efforts of thoroughly cleaning the flat paid off. Chris and Allen could not find anything else tying Sirius to the flat. They left.  
  
Reena closed the door after them and got ready for work. She was fuming by the time she got to work. She slipped into Mr. Julius' office and sat patiently. At 7:30 precisely, Mr. Julius apparated in. HE was surprised to see one of the Cabinet officials in his office.  
  
"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" Mr. Julius asked delightedly.  
  
"Oh, I thought it would be nice to pay you a visit and chat a little bit before we had to start work," Reena answered, her face full of smiles.  
  
"That's quite unusual for you Ms. Delton," Mr. Julius noted.  
  
"Do you know what's really unusual?" Reena asked, her voice like a small child who had made a stunning discovery.  
  
"No, but I suspect you're going to tell me."  
  
"What's really unusual is getting 2 Ministry inspectors at your front door at 5 in the morning. Wouldn't you agree?"  
  
Mr. Julius paused from shuffling some papers around and looked at Reena.  
  
"And to add to the unusualities," Reena continued, "is that a search warrant was signed by my superior who told me the day before that he trusted me."  
  
Reena finished speaking and looked directly at her boss, waiting for a reply. For once in his career, Mr. Julius did not have an immediate response. He cleared his throat several times before saying anything.  
  
"It wasn't something I wanted to do Ms. Delton. I didn't have a choice. I'll be able to tell the Americans that I looked into Zane's claim and nothing came up. Right? Nothing did come up, did it?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, something did come up. Chris and Allen found some of Sirius' clothes. They thought it was some sort of 'sign'. What do you think about it?"  
  
"I'm not going to make a comment about it. I'll read their report before sending it to Washington."  
  
"Are you going to keep it classified, or are you going to make it public so that the whole world knows that Britain complies with America?" Reena sneered.  
  
"You know how it goes, my hands are practically tied in matter like these."  
  
"Glad to know it. Thank you for taking my word and believing me," Reena said sarcastically as she disapparated into her own office. *  
  
Around mid-afternoon, a snowy owl landed in Reena's office. She dropped a letter in front of Reena. Reena opened the letter and found it was from Harry.  
  
Dear Reena  
  
Next Saturday, we have a Hogsmeade visit for Halloween. Would you be able to come and visit us in the village? ~Harry  
  
Reena sent her reply with Hedwig.  
  
Dear Harry, I will be able to visit you next Saturday. Could you please tell me when and where to meet you? Thanks. ~Reena 


	31. Chapter 31

Saturday, the 31st of October, was going to be busy for Reena. In addition to meeting Harry and his friends, Reena had been invited to her brother's house for dinner and she had to go to work.  
  
During the morning work hours, Reena kept remembering the Halloweens of her childhood. When she was very small, Reena used to be fascinated at the amount of food her mother made to feed the dozens of guests they entertained. Steve carried on this tradition by hosting his friends and remaining family. In the wizarding world, Halloween was a time for people to get together with their friends and family. Reena preferred this to the Muggle version of the holiday, which she found very commercial.  
  
At 12 noon, Reena packed up her things and apparated to Hogsmeade. Harry had replied to her letter and said he, Ron, and Hermione would meet her in the side of the mountain outside of Hogsmeade. Reena apparated to the foot of the mountain and decided to walk part of the way. The day was cool, but not windy, so there would be a minimal chance that Reena would be blown off the face of the mountain. After about 20 minutes, Reena gave up the walking and apparated to the cave. Inside waiting was Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Remus.  
  
"Hello all" Reena greeted as she gave her godson a hug.  
  
No formal introductions were needed, so they all engaged in the type of conversation between good friends. Ron and Harry managed to get 2 large baskets of food from the kitchens for a picnic lunch. As they were spreading out the food, a large black dog walked out from the depths of the cave.  
  
Reena was articulate in all things culinary, from preparation to presentation. She was too busy trying to set out the food and make it look nice to notice the dog. It crept up behind her and nudged her leg slightly. Reena spun around and saw the dog smiling at her.  
  
"Snuffles!" she gleefully said as Sirius transformed into his real self.  
  
He bent down and gave Reena a quick kiss. They were usually very aware of people around them and tended to be more private. Sirius turned towards the 4 onlookers and asked "How was that for a surprise entrance?"  
  
"I don't think anybody but you could have planned a better entrance," Remus said as he helped himself to some food.  
  
"You knew he was coming?" Reena asked to no one in particular.  
  
"Think of it as a Halloween gift," Ron said, stuffing some bread pudding in his mouth.  
  
"Well, I must say as first Halloween gift I've ever received, it's very pleasant," Reena replied amusedly.  
  
Reena and Sirius served themselves and settled down to eat. Sitting on the stone floor, Reena was leaning against Sirius. The conversation mainly drifted to activities at the school because the adults' work tended to be classified.  
  
As Reena began eating a piece of spiced pumpkin tart, a voice asked "Should we tell them?" However, it wasn't really a voice, it was more like a frequency that she picked up. Reena looked up towards Sirius, who gave her a questioning look.  
  
"Do you think we should?" Reena communicated silently.  
  
"These are the closest people to us."  
  
"I know, but I'm seeing Steve later. Do I tell him too?"  
  
"That's up to you, but should we tell them?"  
  
"We'll have to eventually, might as well be now."  
  
Sirius put his plate down and looked at Remus, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
"I have an announcement to make," he said.  
  
Everyone stopped eating and looked at him. He paused.  
  
"What is it?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione turned towards Ron and told him to be quiet.  
  
"Reena and I got married," Sirius said quietly.  
  
The 4 others looked on in amazement. They sat in a very awkward silence.  
  
"It's about time is all I have to say," Remus said with a large grin. "Seriously, congratulations."  
  
"Thanks," Reena thanked brightly.  
  
"When?" was all Harry was able to say.  
  
"First week of October. You look like we've done something very strange. Are you okay?" Sirius asked.  
  
"No, I'm fine. I would think that one of you would have mentioned this a little earlier, like in you letters," Harry replied, confusedly.  
  
"Harry, you 4 are the first to know. Steve doesn't even know," Reena told him.  
  
"Who's Steve?" Ron asked suspiciously.  
  
"My big brother," Reena answered.  
  
"I didn't even know you were engaged. Everything we came across only mentioned you were his girlfriend," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"That was our secret, and now you know. But this has to stay confidential. You can't tell anyone, not even Dumbledore," Sirius told the younger 3.  
  
"Cross out hearts, hope to die," Hermione said, reciting the childish oath.  
  
"Thank you," Sirius said as he finished his spice pumpkin tart.  
  
"What time does the feast start?" Reena asked.  
  
"We have to be in the Great Hall by 6," Hermione answered.  
  
Reena glanced at her watch. It was only 2:30.  
  
"I have to be at my bother's around 6 too, so that still gives us some time."  
  
"Our village visit ends sooner. We have to be back at the castle by 4," Ron corrected Reena.  
  
"Right, that's a good point. Did you want to do anything in the village in your remaining time?"  
  
The 3 of them shook their heads. So they settled back into their normal conversation. They seemed to be avoiding mentioning the wedding for some unknown reason. Hermione had brought a pack of Muggle playing cards and she and Harry were trying to teach Ron a simple game. Reena turned to Remus and in a quiet voice asked "Did you tell her?"  
  
Remus smiled and said "I did, and she's still with me."  
  
"Who's 'she'?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Lara Cavendish," Remus said happily.  
  
"And who's Lara Cavendish?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Oh, stop it. Can't you tell when you see that grin on Remus' face?" Reena teased Sirius.  
  
"Ok, I see how it is," Sirius said, as though he had just seen the light.  
  
At 3:30, the kids started to pick up the left over food. Nobody wanted to leave and break the cozy environment of being around the people closest to you. Before the kids left, Reena went up to them.  
  
"Trick or treat." She said a she pulled out a handful of Muggle candies from her pocket.  
  
Each one received his/her own handful. Ron was very confused.  
  
"Trick or treat? What is this?" he demanded.  
  
"My Muggle roots poking through," Reena laughed.  
  
Hermione explained what trick-or-treating was to Ron. They left happily with their sugary snacks. After Harry, Ron, and Hermione left, Reena turned to Remus and Sirius.  
  
"Do you have any plans for this evening?" she asked gently.  
  
"Lara's invited me to meet her family," Remus said ecstatically.  
  
"I have to go and look for somewhere to hide out. The damn Ministry has agents all over America, Canada, half of Europe, and China. Then to top it all, the whole world is on the lookout for me," Sirius said. His voice was perfectly calm, yet the anger was seeping through.  
  
"I have to tell Steve," Reena said quietly, trying not to attract attention to herself.  
  
  
  
~Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this fic! 


	32. Chapter 32

Sirius snapped out of his state and gave a jaw-dropped to Reena.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have to tell Steve, he deserves to know. We told our friends and Steve's my only relative," Reena said quietly again.  
  
Sirius turned to Remus so that one of them could talk Reena out of if. Remus silently gestured to Sirius that he was not going to get involved.  
  
"Steven hates me. This will the one thing he will do to imprison me for the rest of my life," Sirius reasoned.  
  
"I can't keep something like this from him. I can't explain it, but I need to tell him. It's like I'm lying to him," Reena said ashamedly.  
  
"We can tell him in a little while, maybe if I get cleared. Is that okay?" Sirius asked, trying to handle the situation as delicately as possible.  
  
"I need to tell him tonight. It's Halloween and he's having a lot of friends over. Almost every time I see him, he's trying to set me up," Reena said, knowing full well that Sirius would react with this statement.  
  
"He does what?" Sirius asked, wondering if he had heard correctly.  
  
"We need to set him straight. He won't turn you in because it would upset me, and I would never talk to him again," Reena said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Fine. You can tell him," Sirius said, somewhat defeatedly  
  
"No, we can tell him. I'm not facing him alone," Reena said quiclkly.  
  
"Hang on, you just said that Steve was inviting a bunch of friends. They aren't all going to see me."  
  
"They won't. I have a plan."  
  
"Reena, this is getting complicated. Remus, will you tell her this is an unnecessary risk.," Sirius said, turning to his fellow mauraderer.  
  
"Just listen to her. You haven't even heard her idea yet," Remus said diplomatically.  
  
"Thank you Remus. Sirius, all you have to do is apparate to his house, his study specifically. I'll go to his dinner and get him to come to the study. We can tell him then. I'm supposed to be there a half-hour before his friends come, so it will be relatively sage," Reena explained.  
  
"What if the neighbors see me inside the house? Or his wife and daughters?" Sirius asked skeptically.  
  
"Please trust me. If this is the only time you need to see Steve, do it now," said Reena. It was obvious her loyalties to her brother and husband were being tested.  
  
"When do we go?" Sirius asked, giving in completely.  
  
"In 30 minutes. Thank you Sirius." Reena said, giving his hand a faint squeeze.  
  
Remus, not sure where he fit in this picture, broke into the conversation.  
  
"I have to go meet Lara. I don't want to be late."  
  
"Okay Remus, I'll see you later. Happy Halloween," Sirius said. Reena said something to the same effect. With a soft *pop* , Remus Lupin left the cave.  
  
"Can we go back to London? I don't want to face your brother looking like a street person."  
  
"Inspectors came to the flat about 2 weeks ago," Reena informed him.  
  
"That jackass. You'd think he wouldn't be so stupid. I'm going to friggin' kill him," Sirius said, referring to Jeff Zane  
  
"He's not here anymore. He got fired," Reena told him.  
  
"Well isn't he lucky. They didn't find anything in the flat, did they?"  
  
"Just your clothes. I suppose it would be safe if you relegated yourself to the washroom."  
  
A few seconds later, Reena was in her flat.  
  
"Snuffles?" she called out in an indoor voice.  
  
"I'm in here," Sirius answered from behind the bathroom door.  
  
Reena walked into the bedroom and picked out black pants and a black button down shirt for Sirius.  
  
"Doné" Reena said as she pointed her wand to the shirt and pants.  
  
The clothing disappeared and reappeared again in the bathroom. Reena was very jittery. She was more than happy to let her husband in their flat, but the inspection of her flat left her with a touch of anxiety. She waited for a little while and then stepped into the bathroom when Sirius asked her to. The bathroom was cleaner then it was before Sirius had used it.  
  
Sirius looked very handsome. His long-ish hair was combed back and he appeared absolutely dignified in his black apparel.  
  
"Let's get this over with," Sirius mumbled as he took Reena's hand.  
  
They apparated into Steve's study.  
  
"Just give me a minute. I'll try to be back as soon as possible," Reena said as she disapparated.  
  
She reappeared in the living room of her brother's house.  
  
"Hi Ste," she said gleefully as she hugged her brother, who was trying to get dozens of tiny jack-o-lanterns to levitate around the room.  
  
"Hey Reena," Steve greeted as he returned the hug. "Why aren't you ready?" he asked in mock frustration as he pointed to her plain black robes.  
  
"Don't ask questions. I'll be ready soon enough. Can I talk to you privately for a minute?" Reena asked.  
  
"Nobody else is here." Steve pointed out. "Laura and the girls had to pick up a few last minute things."  
  
"Okay, I still need to talk to you then, but not alone," Reena said cryptically. She took her brother's arm and apparated them into his study.  
  
"Reena couldn't you just walk in here? What's so . . ." Steve stopped talking as he saw Sirius.  
  
"Steve, please just listen to us. I'm begging you not to over react," Reena pleaded with her sibling.  
  
"Why are you bringing criminals inside my house?" Steve demanded.  
  
"He's not a criminal Steve. We won't bother you anymore if you just listen to us for a minute."  
  
"You're not bothering me, but he is and I want him to leave before I call a squad from the Ministry."  
  
"Please Steve, don't. We just came here to talk with you." Reena said. She was visibly upset with how this meeting with her brother was going. Sirius was becoming fed up with Steve's behavior.  
  
"Steven, just keep your mouth shut for 2 minutes. We came here to tell you we go married. Reena wanted you to know because you're her brother. Unfortunately, you couldn't even pay her the proper consideration to listen to her. I hope you're real happy with yourself," Sirius told Steve in a severe voice.  
  
"What did you do?" Steve asked, not quite shouting, but pleasantly. "Reena, tell me you're joking."  
  
"We got married," Reena said, confirming one of Steve's worst fears. "I trust you enough not to tell anyone, not even Laura. Don't ruin this for us," she told her brother.  
  
Steve slumped in his chair. He was protective of his sister and didn't want to hurt her. At the same time, he hated Sirius, something that stemmed from their school days. He had to make a quick decision about what to tell his sister. All he could bring himself to do was give a small nod, but not say anything.  
  
"Thanks for listening," was all Reena could say.  
  
Sirius, who didn't want to stay in Steven's house longer than he had to, took Reena's hand. He disapparated themselves back to their flat. 


	33. Chapter 33

They reappeared in the living room of the flat. Sirius saw a completely blank expression on Reena's face. There was no visible sadness or anger, and this is what worried Sirius. He guided his wife to the sofa and sat her down.  
  
"I don't know why I thought he would be happy for us," Reena began, but Sirius gently shushed her.  
  
"You went in optimistic. You didn't do anything wrong," Sirius said, trying to comfort her.  
  
"Why can't I do anything right? He wouldn't have reacted this way if I'd approached it from a different angle."  
  
"Reena, listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong. Your brother is just acting out of feeling he can't control your decisions anymore. Give his some time to cool down. He'll have to accept it sooner or later."  
  
Reena remained silent with her head hung low. Sirius put his arms around her and drew her close to him. Sirius felt the sadness and anger emanating from Reena.  
  
"Don't worry about Steven. Go and see him in a few days," Sirius advised softly.  
  
"It won't matter, he's not going to listen to me anymore and I can't do this on my own. I never thought this would be so difficult," Reena confessed.  
  
"Your brother is somewhat of a difficult person. Telling Steven news he's not prepared for is like facing a raging dragon while you're unarmed."  
  
"That's not exactly what I meant," Reena said. She was now balled up on the sofa next to Sirius, whose arms were still around her.  
  
"What do you find so difficult?"  
  
"Everything. I just wish this was all over soon."  
  
"So do i. I'm sure it will be over soon enough."  
  
Sirius wasn't just saying this for Reena's sake, but also for his own. He too was tired to being on the run and hiding out. After the desolate conditions in Azkaban, Sirius just wanted to live a normal life with Reena.  
  
"You don't have to lie to me. For all we know, this could go on for another 10 years," Reena said dismally.  
  
"God, I hope not. I don't think I can this much longer."  
  
They sat together in a perfect silence. Neither knew what else to say, so they just kept quiet. After sometime, Sirius broke the silence.  
  
"This has been one of the strangest Halloweens I've ever had. What about you?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Reena said with a forced laugh.  
  
"Reena, please don't feel bad. This can't go on forever."  
  
"No, it can't. Do you have to go? Earlier you said you had to find new hideouts."  
  
"I can stay for a little while if you want me to."  
  
Instead of a wonderful Halloween feast, Sirius and Reena ate a couple of chicken sandwiches. After they were finished eating, Sirius began to set out ingredients for a potion. 20 minutes later, he had a pale purple potion in a small vial. He cleaned up the cauldron and ingredients and gave the vial to Reena.  
  
"Reena, drink this," Sirius said.  
  
"What potion is this?" Reena asked, but not suspiciously.  
  
"It will let you sleep."  
  
Reena drank the potion. The reaction wasn't immediate, but the potion worked quickly. Within a few minutes, she was nodding off on the sofa. A few minutes later, Reena was fast asleep. Sirius carried her from the living room into the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed.  
  
"I don't want you to see me go," Sirius confessed as Reena slept.  
  
He leaned down and gave a small kiss to Reena. Sirius disapparated silently into the night.  
  
*  
  
The gray, early morning sky hung over a nearly silent village. The occasional squawks of crows were the only noises that broke the silence. In the gray morning, Reena stood outside her brother's house. She was hesitant to apparate in the house, so she continued to stand outside. Eventually, Reena saw a light turn on in the house.  
  
Gathering all her courage, Reena apparated into the house. Alone in the kitchen, Steve was drinking tea as his sister appeared. He set the mug down on the counter and looked at his sister.  
  
"Steve, can I talk to you please?" Reena asked politely.  
  
"Wasn't yesterday enough?" Steve answered coldly.  
  
"I want to apologize about that and come and explain myself," Reena explained.  
  
"You're an adult capable of making your own decisions."  
  
"Frankly, I don't see what I did wrong," Reena said, her voice becoming more aggressive.  
  
"You don't see what you did wrong?! Reena, I told you I was going to propose to Laura a month before I actually did. I let you take part in every aspect of our wedding. I was very open with you in the way that I didn't keep anything from you. You didn't tell me anything," Steve said in a hurt voice.  
  
"I didn't know Sirius was going to propose to me before he actually did. But you were one of the first people I told when Sirius asked me out and you didn't take that very well," Reena said in her defense.  
  
"When did Sirius propose to you?" Steve asked simply.  
  
"My graduation," Reena answered truthfully.  
  
"That was well over 16 years ago. You didn't think to tell me in all this time that you were engaged?"  
  
"Do you recall how you reacted when I told you I was going to live in London? You were livid, I didn't want to give you another reason to hate me."  
  
Steven thought for a short while before answering. "I was extremely mad, you were only 18 at the time. I had my responsibilities to take care of you. Why didn't you tell me you married before yesterday?"  
  
"I know how you thought of Sirius. I didn't want to tell in case you were to report it to the Ministry."  
  
Steve laughed quietly. "I don't like the guy, but I know him well enough to know that he couldn't have done any of the things they charged him with."  
  
Reena didn't respond. She had an expression of amazement on her face.  
  
"I was partly mad yesterday because I felt that you didn't trust me enough to keep your secrets. Is that the case?"  
  
"I trust you, but the decision to tell people is one that we had to agree on. I wasn't going to tell you if Sirius didn't want me to."  
  
"You're not a little girl anymore, if you feel that you made the right choice, I'll support you."  
  
"Thank you Steve,"  
  
That was all Reena wanted to hear. There was nothing more for her to ask. The closure she had been seeking from her brother for years had finally arrived. 


	34. Chapter 34

The month of November went by quickly. The initial steam in the Ministry to find Death Eaters had vanished. It was increasingly harder to get the funding for raiding suspects' homes. So things resumed back to the days where Reena continually pushed for fighting the dark arts while others dismissed her.  
  
Towards the end of the month, Reena began thinking of the holidays. They were impossible to avoid. All throughout the Ministry offices, wizards and witches gossiped about their plans for the hols. Someone had decorated the corridors with levitating wreaths and poinsettia flowers that softly sang Christmas carols.  
  
It was more than Reena could bear. One day around sun set, she felt the need to get out of her office. She disapparated and appeared in a quiet neighborhood. Specifically, she was on the front lawn of a massive house. It was the only house in the neighborhood that did not have lights on and Christmas decorations. It looked shabby, as though nobody had taken care of it in many years. The wrought iron gate that towered above Reena supported skeletons of vine-like plants. The large front garden was covered in snow, but odd shaped lumps of dead shrubs stuck out. A smaller gate that separated the front house and garden was firmly locked. With a simple spell, the gate opened. The house itself was a large Victorian style with an enormous wrap around porch. Reena walked up the front steps to the front door.  
  
The lock and doorknob was very old and opened with a forceful push. Reena stumbled into the foyer of the house. The house seemed so intact, it was unnerving to Reena. It was as though someone had left the house and would be back any moment. Sunlight streamed through the windows to fill in the empty feeling of the house. Inspecting everything on a closer level, Reena saw that the curtains were moth eaten and the furniture was faded by the sun. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Reena could even see dust floating around the air through the sunlight.  
  
Reena walked up the creaky stairs to the second floor. All the door on the second floor were shut. She walked down the corridor, stopping in front of the third door on the right. She opened the door slowly and peered in. The bedroom walls were covered with posters of Quidditch teams and bands, both Muggle and Magical. The room looked as though it was usually messy, even thought the floor was clear and the bed was neatly made. So these were the interests of an adolescent Sirius, Reena thought.  
  
Reena closed the door gently and walked down the other corridors of the second floor. She walked back downstairs, taking in every detail she saw. On the main floor, Reena walked to the center of the house, which happened to be the formal dining room. Reena rolled up her sleeves and held out her arms in front of her. She waved her arms in a wild gesture while calling out in a powerful voice "Resotray".  
  
The dust from the furniture, curtains, and air lifted and disappeared. The color of the upholstery and wood furniture returned from its sun damaged ruin. The musty scent cleared out and was replaced with a light vanilla scent.  
  
Reena felt very strange in the house without Sirius. She didn't know what else to do, so she fixed the lick on the door and left. When she arrived at her own flat, she wrote a letter to Harry.  
  
Dear Harry, I hope you are well. Do you have any plans for the holidays? I've managed to get a house for Christmas. Take care of yourself. ~Reena *  
  
Harry and Ron were trying to understand the complicated transfiguration notes they had taken earlier in the day when an owl with shiny black feathers landed in the common room. Ron untied the envelope from the owl's leg and saw it was addressed to Harry. Harry opened the letter and read it. Ron also read the letter and remarked, "Hermione's going home for Christmas and I'm going to Romania to see Charlie."  
  
Harry took this into account and sent an affirmative reply to Reena.  
  
~Thank you for all the reviews 


	35. Chapter 35

Harry stepped off the Hogwarts Train on Platform 9 ¾ looking around for Reena. He couldn't find her in the crowd of families picking up their children for the Christmas holiday. Hermione wished Harry a Happy Christmas and went to meet her parents on Platform 9. Ron met Charlie on Platform 9 ¾ and left quickly. The crowd hadn't thinned very much when he heard his name being called out. He looked around and saw Reena trying to get his attention.  
  
"Hello Harry! How are you?" Reena asked as she approached her godson.  
  
"Great, thanks," Harry answered. Reena took and ahold of his arm and they disapperated. They appeared in a beautifully furnished parlor.  
  
"Er, Reena, where are we?" Harry asked carefully.  
  
"This is Sirius' house. He asked that we spend Christmas here. He's going to try and come."  
  
"This is his house, yet he lived in a tiny London flat?" Harry asked in a puzzled voice.  
  
"This is his inheritance," Reena told Harry. "Shall we put your things away?"  
  
Harry nodded and picked up his suitcase. He followed Reena to the second floor.  
  
"There are 8 bedrooms up here. The one off the landing belonged to Sirius' mother. That one on the right-" Reena pointed to the 3rd door on the right, "was Sirius'. You can choose any other room."  
  
"What about you?" Harry asked.  
  
"I dropped my things off just before I came to get you. I haven't chosen a room yet."  
  
Harry opened the door next to the bedroom Sirius had as a child. He put down his suitcase and went back down stairs. He found Reena in the kitchen.  
  
"Hungry?" Reena asked.  
  
Remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since the early morning, he nodded. Over a plate of and sandwiches, cookies, and hot chocolate, Reena and Harry talked about the plans for the holidays.  
  
"Remus will be coming on the 24th. I think he's going to stay for a few days," Reena informed Harry.  
  
"What about Sirius?"  
  
"As far as I can tell, he's going to try his best to come by Christmas Eve," Reena told him softly.  
  
"Oh," Harry said, looking a bit crestfallen. Sensing that Harry was looking forward to seeing his godfather, Reena added,  
  
"I'm sure he'll be able to come. You know he has a perfect sense of timing."  
  
Harry just nodded.  
  
Reena and Harry didn't have much to talk about, but they managed a comfortable co-existence. After a quiet dinner, Harry struggled with a question he had been dying to ask Reena.  
  
"Reena," Harry piped up as they played a game of wizard's chess.  
  
"yeah," Reena responded without looking up.  
  
"Do you know if my parents are ghosts?" he asked slowly.  
  
Reena looked up from the chessboard. "Why?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"I don't know. It's somethings that been in the back of my mind since I met Nearly Headless Nick. I mean, if he's dead, but I can still talk to him, why can't I do the same with my parents?"  
  
Reena thought about her answer carefully before responding to Harry.  
  
"This is going to sound like a really Muggle answer, but it's the truth. The ghosts that you and I see are 'unsettled'. They either are holing onto something, or have a purpose to fulfill. It's a good thing you haven't met your parents as ghosts."  
  
"In my fourth year, I saw their figures coming out of Voldemort's wand, did that 'unsettle' them?"  
  
"They weren't really ghosts. That was a . . . well, it wasn't their ghosts. It was more like an apparition of them or a short window where you could see them," Reena explained gently.  
  
"Do you know if there is any magic where I could summon my mum and dad?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"I'm sorry Harry, but that's strictly classified as dark magic, and for good reason too."  
  
"What reason?" Harry asked, sounding disappointed.  
  
"If your parents aren't ghosts, it means their spirits are 'settles' and they've gone to heaven. Summoning them would mean you've ripped them out a beautiful and peaceful place. If the summoning doesn't go well, in short, it can be quite disturbing. But you know, your mum and dad are watching over you. They never really left you alone," Reena added as an afterthought.  
  
Harry nodded, but didn't say anything for a few minutes.  
  
"Dumbledore told me something similar a few years ago," he said.  
  
"I know. I was told the same thing when my parents passed away," Reena said kindly.  
  
They quietly finished their game and Harry went to his room. Reena worked on some paperwork from the Ministry for a while, before retiring to her own room.  
  
The quietness of the suburban neighborhood was strange to Reena. She was used to the nightly noise of London. It took her a long time for her to fall asleep. She was in the void between wake and sleep when a creaking floorboard woke her up. Reena clutched her wand and "Lumos". She held up her wand and looked around the room. The towering figure of Sirius was at the far end of the room. He looked like a rabbit caught in headlights. 


	36. Chapter 36

Sirius composed himself and walked towards the bed. Reena saw he had lost a lot of weight and tiredness illuminated his face. Reena took his hand and led him right next to the bed. Sirius sat down, still looking at Reena. He swung his feet on the bed lay down next to Reena.  
  
"Sirius, are you all right?" Reena whispered worriedly.  
  
"Just a bit tired," he mumbled.  
  
Reena still hadn't put out her wand and saw that Sirius hadn't even taken off his shoes. Reena undid the laces and pulled off the shoes, throwing them to the ground. She crawled back to her pillow and turned to face Sirius. By his slow, deep breathing, Reena could tell he was already asleep. Reena tried to go back to sleep but couldn't for a long time.  
  
At daybreak, Reena woke up. Sirius was still fast asleep. She quietly crept out of the room. Reena showed and changed and went back down stairs. She finished some more paperwork before breakfast.  
  
Harry came downstairs an hour later. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't seem upset either.  
  
"Good morning, Harry," Reena greeted cheerfully.  
  
"Morning," he replied, opening the refrigerator. He took out a carton of milk and a box of cornflakes from a cupboard. Reena opened another cupboard with her wand. And 2 bowls floated to the table. Harry sat down at the table.  
  
"Cheer up Harry. It's nearly Christmas. And guess what?" Reena asked in a happy sort of voice.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, shoveling some cornflakes into his mouth.  
  
"Sirius came in last night."  
  
"When?" Harry asked, his voice sounding slightly excited.  
  
"Really late. I think he's going to sleep the whole morning. He seemed really tired."  
  
"Alright," Harry said, eating more cereal.  
  
Early in the afternoon, Reena went in her bedroom to check on Sirius. She opened the door and looked in. Sirius was still asleep. As she stepped out of the room, one of the floorboards gave a very loud creak. Sirius' even breathing stopped and his head raised a few degrees.  
  
"Reena? What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, his voice slurred.  
  
Reena went to the side of the bed and kneeled down so that her face was level with Sirius'.  
  
"Sirius, wake up," Reena ordered as she tapped his face.  
  
Sirius opened his eyes all the way. His eyes darted around the room, then back to Reena's face. The muscles in his own face relaxed.  
  
"Sorry, I forgot I was here," Sirius confessed apologetically.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Reena said gently as she brushed a shock of hair out of Sirius' face.  
  
"Is he here?" Sirius asked hoarsely.  
  
"Yes, he came in yesterday. Sirius, go back to sleep of you need to,"  
  
"No, I need to get up. Do I have any other clothes here?"  
  
"If you want, I can dash back to London and get some."  
  
"That's okay. I'm sure my mother didn't throw away all my stuff," Sirius said, getting up from the bed.  
  
Walking into his childhood room and opening up a closet, Sirius was right. He found a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. He walked downstairs into the kitchen and could see Harry zooming around in his Firebolt in the spacious back yard. Reena called Harry inside. Harry landed in a perfect glide a few feet away from a door that linked the kitchen with the yard. He smiled at the sight of his godfather.  
  
"Harry," Sirius croaked, "how are you?"  
  
"Great," Harry said enthusiastically as he pulled a chair for himself at the table.  
  
"Reena, I don't really care what you give me to ear," Sirius said, directing this comment to his wife who was fussing over the stove.  
  
"Nonsense," she scoffed, "unless you want chicken sandwiches for your breakfast, I'm giving you a hot meal."  
  
Sirius gave her a thankful look. He turned back to Harry, who looked eager for conversation.  
  
"How's life?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Nothing special. A few tests here and there, but my grades are ok," Harry responded in the typical teenage ambiguity.  
  
"How's the Quidditch season?"  
  
"Excellent. So far we've won every game. I'm the captain this year," Harry added with a note of pride.  
  
"What?" Sirius and Reena asked together, shocked.  
  
"You didn't find this fact important enough to share?" Reena asked.  
  
"I dunno," Harry said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.  
  
Both adults remained silent. It was at his moment that Sirius and Reena realized what 11 straight years at the Dursley's had done to their godson. Reena took hold of the awkward silence.  
  
"We're really proud of you Harry. Here you go dear," Reena said bringing a plate loaded with food to Sirius. A bowl appeared in front of Harry. Reena brought a pot to the table and filled the bowl with a hearty soup. She filled a second bowl of soup for herself.  
  
"I would have been happy with soup!" Sirius protested as he ate his own food.  
  
"Stop complaining," Harry laughed.  
  
They continued to talk, laugh, and eat. They all stopped suddenly when they saw someone's from appearing in the kitchen.  
  
  
  
*Thank you so much for the reviews!! 


	37. Chapter 37

Sirius' automatic response was to turn into a dog. All of a sudden, Reena, Harry, and Snuffles saw Remus standing in the kitchen. Reena let out a sigh of relief. Sirius turned back into himself.  
  
"Please let us know when you're coming," Sirius said primly, "it's rude to call upon people uninvited." He laughed, letting Remus know he wasn't mad.  
  
"It was completely dead around my neck of the woods, so I decided to come early," Remus explained.  
  
"That's fine. Would you like some lunch?" Reena asked.  
  
"Yes please."  
  
Reena took out another bowl and emptied the pot of soup into it.  
  
"Don't you have any plans with Lara for Christmas?" Reena asked.  
  
Remus didn't answer and continued to drink his soup.  
  
Sirius could tell something was up.  
  
"Remus, if you're going to say something, don't hold back," Sirius said impatiently.  
  
"Well, I was just thinking. You haven't met Lara, and her parents went abroad for Christmas, so she hasn't . . ." Remus said, his voice trailing off.  
  
"You want to bring her here?" Reena asked, vocalizing what Remus had wanted to ask.  
  
"Jesus Christ! Remus, are you out of your mind?" Sirius asked, on the verge of exploding.  
  
"Why would I be crazy? I ant my girlfriend to meet the people who are my family, is that so insane?" Remus asked in his defense.  
  
"Have you forgotten that the whole world is looking for me? Your girlfriend doesn't know me from Adam. I don't know how you're going convince her that I'm not going to blow you all to pieces. And I refuse to spend my first decent Christmas in years as a dog."  
  
"You might find this hard to believe, but I think Lara wouldn't cry you out if she saw you. She doesn't like the Ministry as much as you do. No offense Reena."  
  
"None takne."  
  
"How can you be sure? Was Lara wrongfully accused and sent to Azkaban?" Sirius asked sarcastically.  
  
"She's a graduate of the East," Remus informed them.  
  
This answer seemed to silence Sirius. Harry was visibly confused with this answer. Reena looked very impressed.  
  
"What's a graduate of the East?" Harry asked.  
  
"Magic is divided into several branches. The main 2 branches are Eastern and Western. Easter magic is ancient, it was developed centuries before Western magic. In fact, Western magic derives from Eastern magic," Reena explained to Harry.  
  
"What does that have to do with this Lara women not liking the Ministry?" Harry asked, still sounding confused.  
  
"Because Eastern magic is much older than Western, a lot of witches and wizards think it is very imprecise. The truth is, it's a lot harder to master than Western magic. However in the Western world, studies of Eastern magic aren't looked fondly upon. The Ministry won't hire anyone who is a graduate of Eastern magic," Reena continued.  
  
Sirius listened to this explanation as well. He spoke up as soon as Reena was done talking.  
  
"Bring your girlfriend, but make sure she won't flip out when she meets me.  
  
  
  
*if you're reading, please review and tell me what you think so far!!! 


	38. Chapter 38

Everybody was nervous on Christmas Eve. Reena had overtaken the take of preparing dinner, the Muggle way. She wanted everything to be perfect and was slightly on edge. Sirius' nerves were on end because he didn't trust meeting new people. Remus was a bundle of jitters as he thought about how his friends would accept Lara. Harry bounced from adult to adult before he became sick of their behavior. He grabbed his Firebolt and went outside.  
  
At 6 o'clock, Remus went to get his girlfriend. Sirius decided he would stay in the kitchen Reena and Remus could introduce him. A few minutes later, 2 figures appeared in the front parlor. Reena and Harry went into the parlor to meet the guest. Remus had his arm around a medium height woman with light brown hair in a bob-cut. She was smiling nervously at Reena and Harry.  
  
"Lara, this is my friend Reena and her godson Harry," Remus introduced. Lara shook both their hands.  
  
"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Reena said. "Let me get some snack. Would you like anything to drink?"  
  
"No thank you," Lara answered, still with a nervous tone.  
  
Reena walked out of the parlor and into the kitchen. Sirius was standing over a plate of egg rolls, picking at them.  
  
"What are you doing?" Reena hissed.  
  
Sirius' hand pulled back from the plate.  
  
"Testing," he answered in a would-be innocent voice.  
  
"Whatever. Would you please bring some glasses and a bottle of pumpkin fizz?"  
  
Reena walked into the parlor with the egg rolls, followed by Sirius with the pumpkin fizz.  
  
"Lara, this is my husband Sirius, nodding her head toward Sirius.  
  
Lara gave a sudden look of surprise. A small, incomprehensible sound came out of her mouth. She couldn't believe her boyfriend, the Boy Who Lived, and a Cabinet Minister were so comfortable in the presence of a murderer. Lara gently tugged at Remus' shirt and gave him a pleading look, as if she wanted to leave.  
  
"Sirius is innocent. He's not going to blow us to pieces," Remus said lightly.  
  
"What about . . ." Lara began, looking at Harry.  
  
"Not Sirius. A coward who goes by Peter Pettigrew," Remus said.  
  
Lara still looked very uncomfortable. Reena was desperate to save the situation.  
  
"Egg rolls anyone? Dinner won't be ready for another hour."  
  
Everyone shifted around, helping themselves to egg rolls and fizz. Soft, non-holiday music began playing with a sharp flick of Reena's wand.  
  
"What's your line of work?" Sirius asked Lara.  
  
"By day, I work as a secretary for a Muggle lawyer. By night, I practice Eastern healing," Lara said. She still was visibly uncomfortable with Sirius' presence.  
  
"The Double life of Lara Cavendish," Harry chimed in with an amused tone. This was an ice breakeer and they all laughed, shaking off nerves.  
  
After some uneasy attempts at conversation, Reena stood up.  
  
"I'm going to finish dinner, please excuse me."  
  
"Let me help," Larra offered, quickly standing up.  
  
"No, please, you're a guest."  
  
"Oh, it's nothing," Lara said following Reena out of room.  
  
In the confinements of the kitchen, Lara began assisting where she could. Reena saw a worried shadow on her face.  
  
"You're still nervous. I would be too in the presence of an escaped convict I didn't know."  
  
"It is still showing?" Lara asked.  
  
"Just slightly. There's nothing to be worried about. Sirius is a very sweet person. He's not going to blow you to bits."  
  
"If you'll excuse me, but why are you, a Cabinet Minister, harboring him? Aren't you risking yourself?"  
  
"He's my love. I'd do anything for him. I think it's worth the risk."  
  
"I didn't know anyone in the Ministry had a heart."  
  
"I'm the exception, not the rule," Reena said in a bitter voice.  
  
"So it would be sage to say that you do not look down upon me for my magical practices?"  
  
"You are not eating dinner in an average wizard household. We all are considered outcasts in our way. Everyone from Harry to myself is some sort of outcast. No one is going to hold your practices against you," Reena said reassuringly.  
  
"I can understand myself, Remus, and Sirius, but how are you and Harry outcasts?" Lara asked quizzically.  
  
"Look at my politics and the fact I never condemned Sirius. Harry's reputation is still in question after that article that Rita Skeeter wrote 2 years ago. I think that's why we all get along so well."  
  
"I feel like I'm intruding on this pseudo-family," Lara said honestly.  
  
"You're not intruding," Reena asked as she sprinkled some herbs on top of boiled potatoes. "Families grow, they don't stay the same size forever."  
  
Lara gave her first real laugh since she had entered the Black residence. 


	39. Chapter 39

After the female only conversation, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. Over the desert of fruit and custard, Lara brought up a sensitive subject.  
  
"Where is this peter Pettigrew?" Lara asked.  
  
There was a sudden silence in the dining room. All heads turned toward Lara.  
  
"Probably wherever Voldemort is," Remus answered frankly.  
  
"Have you tried tracking him?" Lara asked curiously.  
  
"We don't have any of his blood to track him. We tried to obtain some of it, but it didn't work out," Reena said, sounding somewhat defeated.  
  
"Have you tired other tracking methods?" Lara asked.  
  
"What other tracking methods?" Sirius asked confusedly.  
  
"There are other methods, if you're open to it," Lara informed the 4 other people.  
  
"Other than using his blood?" Sirius asked in disbelief.  
  
"Like I said, if you're open to alternative ways, there are ways to track a wizard without using his blood."  
  
Lara had caught everyone's attention. No one had expected help from anyone, especially someone who had been so nervous with Sirius only a few hours before.  
  
"How do we go about tracking Peter if we don't have anything to work with?" Remus asked.  
  
"Don't get me wrong, we still have to work with something," Lara corrected him. "Do you have any connections with Pettigrew?"  
  
"We were friends at school," Sirius answered.  
  
"I mean is he connected magically. Like a debt or something?" Lara asked, clarifying what she meant.  
  
"Yeah," Harry answered, speaking for the first time in the conversation about finding Peter.  
  
"Harry spared his life 3 years ago," Remus recalled.  
  
"That should work," Lara said, completing her thoughts.  
  
When she went back to eating her custard, everyone was confused.  
  
"How?" Sirius asked plainly.  
  
"It's a bit complicated, I can't really explain without actually doing it," Lara answered.  
  
"When could you do it?" Sirius pressed.  
  
"Whenever's convenient," Lara replied, oblivious to how Sirius and the others were reacting.  
  
"Are you telling me that you could summon Pettigrew here, right now?" Sirius asked clearly.  
  
"Yes, but it wouldn't be immediate. I'd have to activate the bond." Lara replied.  
  
"How long would it take to activate the bond?" Reena asked impatiently.  
  
"I'd need to brew up a quick potion, it would take about a half hour to activate, then summoning shouldn't take long."  
  
"What ingredients do you need?" Sirius asked, standing up abruptly.  
  
"Not ones that would likely be here. If I go back to my flat and pick them up, I could bring them back here to make the potion."  
  
"Good. Go get the ingredients and we'll set up the cauldron here," Remus instructed.  
  
Lara vanished from the mansion. Sirius went into the kitchen and opened a cupboard underneath the counters. He pulled out a cauldron and stand. He began to assemble it while Reena and Remus cleaned up dinner at an amazing speed with their wands. Harry sat with his godfather in the kitchen.  
  
"If she can summon Pettigrew, what are we going to do with him? Won't the Ministry think it would be really strange if you walked in with a man who you supposedly killed 15 years ago?" Harry asked.  
  
"They'll have to deal with it. The Ministry will accept it eventually," Sirius said with a determined tone.  
  
"What if they think you gave a random person the Polyjuice potion with Peter's hair or something in it?"  
  
"The polyjuice potion only works if you use something from an alive person. There is no other way that you can masquerade as someone else."  
  
Sirius finished putting the cauldron together and started a flame underneath it. A few minutes later, Lara and Reena walked in the kitchen carrying various potion ingredients.  
  
"This potion is really quick," Lara said as she began adding the ingredients in. She sprinkled a powder into the cauldron. A few minutes later, there was a small explosion in the pot.  
  
"It's ready," Lara said as she poured it into a glass. Lara handed Harry the glass and watched him as he inspected it.  
  
The potion was clear green. It looked almost like green Kool-Aid,. The potion didn't reek like all the other potions he made in school. It had a faint smell of dried flowers. Harry held his breath and drank the potion in a few large gulps.  
  
"Just sit down. You'll know the potion is working when your senses become heightened. When that happens, I need you to tell me," Lara explained.  
  
Harry nodded and continued to sit on a chair. Remus was waving his wand around and all the doors in the kitchen closed and locked.  
  
"There's no chance he can get away. If he turns into a rat, try to catch him. I have a box to keep him in," Remus waved a shoe box in his other hand.  
  
Harry sat quietly, wondering how this potion would work. He soon found out. First, the light in the kitchen became too bright for him to keep his eyes open. The soft talking between the adults became louder and louder. He put his hands over his ears to block out the noise. Reena outstretched her arm to comfort Harry, but her touch was excruciating.  
  
"it's working," Lara obseved.  
  
She pulled out her wand and began chanting an incantation.  
  
"Omne tetna prix, Omne tetna prix," Lara recited, putting full concentration forth.  
  
The kitchen began shaking. Dishes rattled in the cupboards and the lights flickered. Harry still sat with his eyes shut and his hands over his ears, for his senses heightened to such and extreme point.  
  
A large flash of light appeared in the kitchen, and the rattling stopped. In the midst of where the light had appeared stood Peter Pettigrew. He looked almost the same as he had 3 years earlier, except all of his hair had fallen out. He looked around the room, frightened at the sight of Sirius, Remus, and Harry.  
  
"Reena, Reena, please help me," Peter squeaked.  
  
"With what?" Reena asked in a taunting voice.  
  
Peter saw that he wasn't going to be helped in the Black Mansion. He didn't know Lara, so she didn't even try to ask for her help. Peter began transforming into a rat when everyone dove toward where he was standing. Sirius was able to catch him before he scampered across the kitchen. Peter was placed in the box and Remus magically sealed it and punctured an air hole in the box.  
  
Squeaks emitted from the box, but no one paid attention. Reena went to Harry, who was still sitting on the chair.  
  
"Harry, are you ok?" she asked softly.  
  
"Yeah," Harry answered, surprised that he no longer had heightened senses. "How'd that work?"  
  
"It's a combination of the potion and an incantation. The potion opens up the connection you have with the wizard and calls them. The incantation physically summons the wizard. "Lara explained, "What are you going to do with that?" Lara pointed to the box.  
  
"We'll have to take it to the Ministry. What are we going to do with it?" Reena asked sarcastically.  
  
"When?" Sirius asked impatiently.  
  
"The Ministry is closed for Christmas, so I think Fudge will have no problem receiving it tonight."  
  
"When can we go?" Sirius asked again.  
  
"What's wrong with now?" Remus asked.  
  
"Nothing. Let's go now. Fudge will be at his home at his annual Christmas dinner," Reena said.  
  
"Are we all going?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yep. Remus do you know where to go?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
Sirius also knew where the Fudge residence was. Remus held Lara's hand and they disapparated. Sirius with the shoebox was next. Finally, Reena took hold of Harry's arm and they too disapparated from the kitchen.  
  
  
  
  
  
*thank you so much to anyone who has sent a review ( 


	40. Chapter 40

All 5 arrived in front of a large house that had been decked out for the holidays. Thousands of lights twinkled from the outside of the house. It was visible from the windows of the house that the elite of the wizarding community had all been invited to Minister Fudge's house for Christmas dinner.  
  
"How are we going to enter?" Lara asked. "I mean, you know how people would react if we all apparated in there with Sirius."  
  
"I know. Should I go in first, find Fudge, then call all of you in?" Reena asked.  
  
"That's not going to work. You know what an idiot Fudge is. It just struck me that we would be better off if we went to Dumbledore first," Sirius said.  
  
"We can go to Hogsmeade then walk up to Hogwarts," Remus suggested.  
  
"If you'd apperate in the tunnel from Honeydukes, we can get into the school without anyone else knowing," Harry said.  
  
"It would work," Reena agreed.  
  
Once again, Remus held Lara's hand and the 2 disapperated. As Reena and Harry were about to follow, Sirius took Reena's free hand and all 3 of them disappeared from the shadows of the house.  
  
The tunnel was dark and very cool. Lara, Remus, and Reena lit their wands at the same time. Harry led the was back to the school.  
  
"Where are we?" Lara asked, looking around the tunnel.  
  
"An underground tunnel that leads to Hogwarts," answered Remus.  
  
"How long will it take back to get to the school?"  
  
"About 20 more minutes."  
  
When they reached the entrance to the school, Remus moved the one- eyed witch from inside the tunnel. One by one, each member of the party climbed out. Sirius transformed into the large black dog in case he ran into a wondering staff member of student who had decided to stay at school for the holidays. The 4 people plus one dog cautiously made their way to the gargoyle.  
  
"Do you know the password?" Remus asked Harry and Reena.  
  
"No, but if we stand out here long enough, I'm sure we'll come up with the password," Harry suggested.  
  
"I don't think we should stand out here for too long," Reena said, but Harry was already rambling words off.  
  
"Cockroach Cluster?"  
  
The gargoyle didn't move.  
  
"Lemon drop? Chocolate? Jelly beans? Sugar Quills?"  
  
The gargoyle sat very still.  
  
"Blood flavor lollipops? Cauldron Cakes? Canary Creams?"  
  
The gargoyle moved aside to reveal and entrance way. Sirius in his Snuffles form led the way into the entrance. The corridor led to Dumbledore's office. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, looking at a book.  
  
"Hello Sirius," Professor Dumbledore said as he saw the large black dog coming into his office.  
  
Sirius was followed by Reena, Lara, Remus, and Harry. Reena placed the shoe box in front of Dumbledore.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Professor," Reena said with a devilish smile on her face.  
  
"Need I ask what is in here?" Dumbledore asked, hearing the desperate squeaks from the box.  
  
"Do you know what to do with him?" Sirius asked seriously.  
  
"I think it would be wise to turn him into the Ministry as soon as possible," Dumbledore instructed.  
  
"Technically, the Ministry is on vacation until January 4th," Reena reminded him.  
  
"There is always a cluster of Aurors at the Ministry, regardless of holidays," Dumbledore said calmly.  
  
"Thank you Professor," Sirius thanked Dumbledore.  
  
Dumbledore led them to the front entrance of the school. Outside of the great doors was a horse-less carriage waiting for the group.  
  
"The carriage will take you to the edge of the grounds. You can disapperate from there," Dumbledore advised.  
  
Lara, Reena, Harry, Remus, and Sirius with the shoe box filed into the carriage. The carriage ride seemed to last for a long time, but it soon ended when the carriage stopped automatically, as thought it had hit an invisible fence. The group exited the carriage and walked a few feet further. Remus and Lara were able to disapperate. Sirius and Reena (with Harry) followed suit.  
  
They arrived in a deserted office. All the lights had been shut off except for one, which was casting a pool of light in the corridor through the frosted glass in the door.  
  
Reena knocked sharply on the door.  
  
"Come in," a deep, gravel-ly, voice answered.  
  
Reena slowly opened the door and walked in, followed by Sirius and Remus. Lara and Harry hung around the door frame. There were 3 Aurors in the office. All 3 stood up with their wands pointed at Sirius.  
  
"Stop," Reena ordered in her authoritative voice.  
  
The Aurors kept their wands pointed at Sirius, but didn't act.  
  
"Listen to me, we have brought you the real murderer," Reena explained.  
  
"Who is it?" the deep voiced Auror asked.  
  
Reena didn't answer. She placed the shoe box on the floor and removed the lid. She and Remus pointed their wands at the box. Blue light enveloped the box. The Auror watched with professional expressions as the rat transformed into a short bald man. Only when they realized who the man was did they show any expression.  
  
"What the hell?" the second Auror asked in disbelief.  
  
"Please help me," Peter pleaded, "they want to kill me!"  
  
"How did you . . ." the third Auror asked, not sure what he should say or ask.  
  
Reena pointed her wand at Peter and cords shot out around his wrists and ankles.  
  
"Do you have any Verteserum?" Reena asked in an urgent tone.  
  
"Yes, but we need to have an explanation first on why you need it now," the deep voiced Auror told her.  
  
"It's the easiest way to explain why Pettigrew is still alive," Remus said, trying to keep Sirius and Reena from losing their temper.  
  
The third Auror unlocked a cabinet and took out a bottle filled with a clear liquid. The 2 other Aurors walked around Peter. Both of them lunged toward Peter and forced his jaws open. The third Auror opened the small bottle and poured it down Peter's throat. The 2 other Aurors clamped Peter's jaws shut. This forced Peter to swallow the truth serum. Almost immediately, Peter's face went slack.  
  
"How are you still alive?" the deep voiced Auror asked.  
  
"I transformed into a rat and escaped," Peter said without expression.  
  
"Did Black betray the Potters?"  
  
"No. I did."  
  
"Do you support Voldemort?"  
  
"Yes"  
  
There was a pause. The deep voiced Auror didn't know what else to ask. He turned towards Sirius, Reena and Remus.  
  
"Where did you find him?"  
  
"We summoned him," Lara answered very quietly.  
  
"How?"  
  
"With a potion/incantation," Lara answered quietly again.  
  
"We have to find Fudge and the other Ministers. This case is beyond our power," the deep voiced Auror said.  
  
Reena and the 2 other Aurors apparated to the owlery on the roof of the building. The 2nd Auror pulled out slips of parchment from his cloak pocket. He threw the slips into the air and cracked out his wand. The slips of paper attched themselves to the legs of owls. The owls spread their wings and flew into the night sky.  
  
"We'll have to wait," the 3rd Auror said redundantly.  
  
The 3 apparated back to the Auror's office. 


	41. Chapter 41

Within 15 minutes, wizards started to apparate into the office. Most looked annoyed at being called back to work on Christmas Eve. However, the looks they all had on their faces was the same when they saw Sirius and Peter: shock and surprise. In addition to the Cabinet Ministers, Professor Dumbledore also appeared. That to arrive was Minister Fudge.  
  
"What is going on here?" Fudge asked impatiently.  
  
"An interesting development," Dumbledore said amusedly.  
  
Reena stood up on a desk and amplified her voice.  
  
"Please be quiet. The sooner we can address this matter, the sooner we can get home," Reena's voice boomed.  
  
The office silenced immediately.  
  
"As you can see, we have Peter Pettigrew here. He was given Verteserem and confessed to being a supporter of Voldemort and betraying the Potters. It is quite clear that Pettigrew is guilty and Sirius Black is innocent. It is important that we come together and make a unanimous decision about this matter."  
  
There was a short pause, then someone spoke up.  
  
"How are we sure that Black's innocent?"  
  
Sirius spoke. "I can be questioned under Verteserum to prove it."  
  
The deep voiced Auror gave Sirius a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. Sirius removed the cork the contents. His face went blank and questioning began.  
  
"Did you betray James and Lily Potter as their Secret Keeper?" the deep voiced Auror asked.  
  
"No. I wasn't their secret keeper," was the monotonous reply.  
  
"Did you kill Muggles 15 years ago in broad daylight?"  
  
"No. Peter killed them, then turned into a rat and fled."  
  
"Are you innocent of the charges you were accused of 15 years ago?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why did you escape from Azkaban 3 years ago?"  
  
"I was innocent, I wanted revenge, I had to protect Harry."  
  
The questioning stopped. The Cabinet members looked horrified at what had just been revealed to them and their treatment of the innocent man. They were silent in thought for several minutes. Reena again stood up on a desk.  
  
"Can we review this case and change the sentencing?" she asked.  
  
"We can have the charges against Black retracted in a couple of hours and have Pettigrew charged," Cabinet Minister Pfeffer stated.  
  
"Officially, we have to take a vote on matters like this," Mr. Julius said.  
  
By a show of hands, the entire Cabinet found Sirius not guilty. There was only one objection in the room.  
  
"Are you all mad? Can't you see that this case is more complicated than a simple 'he's guilty and he's not'. We haven't even considered how to tell the public. I doubt they would receive the news that we let a mistake like this run so long. They will began to doubt our government," Fudge warned.  
  
"We could put Pettigew on a public trial. Then the public could see for themselves that we can fix our mistakes," Cabinet Minister Dawson suggested.  
  
"What would we do with Black in the mean time?" Fudge countered.  
  
"We could keep him under guard at his house," Reena suggested.  
  
"Ms. Delton, I think your input should be minimal in this matter because of your personal involvement," Fudge said, cutting her off. "We'll put him back into Azkaban."  
  
  
  
*Thank you for all the reviews! I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. I have mid-terms coming up, so the chapter after this will most likely be delayed for another 2 weeks. 


	42. Chapter 42

The rest of the holidays were a blur. Harry went back to school, Remus and Lara returned to their normal lives, and Reena left the Black mansion. Reena occupied herself by preparing for Peter's trial. Although she could not become involved in the trial because of her personal life, Reena still managed to oversee a few things. She sat in on meetings of the prosecution and scrutinized their arguments. She also managed to review several perspective jurors for the trial. However, her own workload was becoming very heavy. She slowly let go her avid overseeing of Peter's trial.  
  
As the trial date grew closer, Reena felt like exploding. The stress of the nearing trial was not something she could control. In the middle of a workday afternoon, Reena left her office and walked through the door labeled "Authorized Personnel Only". She picked up the tin and found herself in a building with goblins. She followed one of the goblins into the fortress.  
  
"You have one hour," the goblin told Reena. "Black, you have a visitor."  
  
Sirius walked to the bars of his cell. He didn't smile of show any outward signs of being happy to see Reena.  
  
"When's the trial date set for?" Sirius asked, taking the initiative to start a conversation.  
  
"The second Tuesday of February," Reena answered.  
  
"How long is that from today?"  
  
"2 weeks."  
  
"Would you believe that I've been here for a month," Sirius thought aloud.  
  
Reena didn't say anything.  
  
"Do you know what the prosecution's main argument is? And how is the jury?" Sirius asked.  
  
"The prosecution is going to try to convince the judge to administer Verteserum to Peter. The jury for the most part is a skeptical bunch. I'm not sure how they're going to react to seeing someone who was thought to be dead."  
  
Sirius saw Reena's mask-like expression and softened his bitter attitude.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked somewhat awkwardly.  
  
"Is there some reason for this concern?" Reena asked coolly.  
  
"I'll take that as a no. But seeing as I am your husband and I haven't seen you in nearly a month, I think it's OK if I am concerned about you."  
  
Reena turned her face away to blink away the tears that she didn't want to release. Sirius reached his hand through the bars and turned her face towards him.  
  
"You don't think I've seen you cry before?" Sirius asked quietly. "Why do you try to ignore everything and then breakdown?"  
  
"I'm not having a breakdown. And I don't want to cry, I don't want to feel anything. If I ignore everything, I won't have to deal with it."  
  
"You need to go home and rest," Sirius said, clearly seeing that Reena hadn't been getting a lot of rest.  
  
"I need to go back to work," Reena said determinedly. 


	43. Chapter 43

A few weeks later, Reena sat nervously in her office trying to concentrate on her work. After breaking the nib of a second quill, she walked down the hall to Mr. Julius' office. She walked into his office without knocking, much to his surprise.  
  
"Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Delton?" Mr. Julius asked.  
  
"As a matter of fact, there is. Would you mind telling me how the Pettigrew trial is going?"  
  
"I'm sorry Ms. Delton, but that specific trial is closed. When the verdict has been reached, the Ministry will be notified before the Daily Prophet."  
  
"Did you receive any word on how long they expect the trail to last?"  
  
"Not a word."  
  
Reena threw her hands up in frustration. She then stalked out of Mr. Julius' office into her own.  
  
*  
  
Reena was sleeping when she heard a tapping at her window. She opened the window and a tan owl flew in along with a gust of cold air. The owl dropped a letter on the bed and flew out and Reena shut the window. She picked up the letter and opened it. A small slip of paper fell out of the envelope. Reena saw that it had been scrawled un-neatly and the ink had been still wet when it was thrown in the envelope. The message was 3 simple words. Pettigrew found guilty. The bottom of the note was signed by Mr. Julius.  
  
Reena was overcome with a wave of relief. She put the note back in the envelope and put it on her bedside table.  
  
The next morning, another owl arrived at Reena's flat. It was from the Ministry's Judicial Department.  
  
To Reena Delton, At 4 o'clock, Sirius Black will be put on trial to answer charges against him. In order to be admitted in the courtroom, present this letter to the guard outside the courtroom. Sincerely Maxamillian Hedgewick Head of the Ministry Judicial Department *  
  
Reena walked down a dimly lit corridor of the Ministry Courts Building. Outside of the specific dungeon she was looking for were 2 very bright torches and 2 enormous security wizards. They blocked the doors to the dungeon entrance. Reena showed the letter to the guards and they let her in.  
  
The dungeon courtroom did not have crowds of people in it. The trial had not started, but everyone seemed to be in place. The judge sat at the head of the room, the jury to his left. The spectator seating was nearly empty, except for a man Reena had never seen and Remus. Reena sat next to Remus and they waited for the trial to begin.  
  
A security wizard brought Sirius into the courtroom. A mummer among the jury grew; but was quickly silenced as the judge started to speak.  
  
"Sirius Black, your trial will be conducted in a different manner. You will not be given a defender, but there will also be no prosecution. All you have to do is explain the charges against you. The court has summoned 2 of your friends. At any point in this trial, you may call them up as witnesses or I may call them to give further explanations for certain situations. Mr. Carson will be taking notes on this trial for official court archives. Do you understand?" the judge asked after his explanation.  
  
"Yes, sir," Sirius answered politely.  
  
Reena glanced at the third person sitting in the spectator seating. He had a long roll of parchment and was busily writing. She realized that he was the court documenter.  
  
"You are accused of escaping from Azkaban and being an Animagus without registering with the Ministry. How do you defend yourself?"  
  
"I escaped from Azkaban because I knew I was innocent and needed to protect my godson. I had no intention other than getting rid of a follower of the Dark Lord," Sirius explained honestly.  
  
"What about being an unregistered Animagus?" The judge probed.  
  
"I learned how to transform while I was at Hogwarts. I did so to give company to friend who sometimes could not have human company. I didn't register because I was a proud kid. I didn't expect to use my ability after I left school," Sirius said, explaining the second charge.  
  
"Is that all you have to say?" the judge inquired.  
  
"Yes, sir," Sirius answered.  
  
The judge turned to the jury.  
  
"You are now excused to decide whether Sirius Black's actions were justified or are punishable by wizarding law. Please remember that your decision must pass with at lease a 9 out of 12 votes."  
  
The jury walked through another door to their discussion chambers. They returned 15 minutes later with their verdict.  
  
  
  
  
  
~Please review! 


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44  
  
One member of the jury stood to speak.  
  
"We, the members of the jury, find the actions of Sirius Black . . ." there was a long, nerve-wracking, pause, "justified."  
  
Reena let out a huge sigh of relief.  
  
"Mr. Black, you are free to leave and the charges that were held against you in the case of Peter Pettigrew's murder and all related charges will be dropped," the judge informed Sirius.  
  
Reena leaned over the barrier that separated the spectator seating from the rest of the courtroom and gave Sirius a big hug.  
  
Hand in hand, Reena and Sirius walked out of the courthouse followed by Remus. As they exited the courthouse and walked onto Diagon Alley, they were attacked by a barrage of reporters from the Daily Prophet, photographers, and reporters form foreign wizarding newspapers. Reena, Sirius, and Remus had to push their way through because they wanted to go to the Leaky Cauldron to celebrate.  
  
Reena was much smaller than Sirius and had a harder time pushing through the crowds. In an act of impatience, Sirius picked up Reena and threw her over his shoulder. Then he and Remus tore threw Diagon Alley. As they ran, the media followed as best they could. However, the other people in Diagon Alley were terrified to see Sirius Black running in broad daylight with what appeared to be a child heaved over his shoulder.  
  
Sirius and Remus rushing into the Leaky Cauldron. Tom ushered them into a private parlor. Sirius put Reena down and all 3 of them were laughing so hard they could hardly breath. They calmed down after Tom brought some tea and sandwiches.  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Remus asked.  
  
Sirius' smile vanished and was replaced with a serious look.  
  
"Go home and find a job," Sirius answered after some thought.  
  
"Any ideas on where you would work?" Remus asked.  
  
"I could go back to the Aurors and beg for my old job."  
  
"That is a feasible idea," Reena commented, "I mean, you did put a lot of your Auror skills to work with finding Peter."  
  
"I suppose," Sirius muttered as he took a sip of tea  
  
*  
  
Harry was relieved to end his 6th year of school. His happiness was punctured by the thought of spending another summer with the Dursleys. As he stepped off the train, he was surprised to see Reena and Sirius waiting on Platform 9 ¾. He knew that Sirius had been set free, but he hadn't expected them to be at the train station.  
  
"Hi Harry!" Reena said, giving Harry a welcoming hug.  
  
"Hi," Harry responded. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"We've come to take you to our house for the summer," Sirius answered, loading Harry's things onto a trolley.  
  
"What about the Dursleys?" Harry asked.  
  
"What about them? We'll tell them you're coming with us," Sirius said. "I've got a new car," he added.  
  
Reena, Sirius, and Harry ran threw the barrier back to platform 9. Harry spotted Vernon Dursley.  
  
"There's my uncle," Harry pointed out.  
  
They walked towards Mr. Dursley.  
  
" Good God boy. Where were you? Do you know how long you've made me wait here? Who are they?" Vernon Dursley asked as he saw Harry walking with Reena and Sirius.  
  
"Sirius Black," Sirius introduced himself by holding his hand out for a handshake, "and my wife Reena."  
  
Mr. Dursley turned form a bright red color to a sickening shade of ash as he realized that this was Harry's godfather.  
  
"Wh-Wh-What do you want?" Mr. Dursley sputtered.  
  
"We want to take Harry home with us. Would you mind sending his things to this address?" Reena said, handing Mr. Dursley a business card with and address.  
  
Mr. Dursley nodded and left the station as fast as he could. Reena, Sirius, and Harry also left the station. They loaded Harry's things into a black, sleek-looking new car and drove off. In the car, Harry fell asleep. When he woke up, he realized that they were driving in a neighborhood of huge Victorian mansions. He recognized the house they were pulling into as the one where they had celebrated Christmas. Harry noticed that that the gardens were well tended and the outside of the house looked very well cared-for.  
  
"We're not going to your flat?" Harry asked.  
  
"We moved out a few months ago. We moved here," Reena explained.  
  
Later in the evening, they sat down for dinner.  
  
"Things are going to get much better Harry," Sirius said as they ate. "I've got my old job back and my house. We're in a better position to become your legal guardians."  
  
"Would you like that?" Reena asked anxiously.  
  
"Yes I would," Harry answered in the blink of an eye.  
  
*  
  
Sirius woke up in the middle of the night. His alarm clock revealed it was only 1:15. He looked to his side, but found that Reena was not there. He went to the kitchen and saw Reena sitting in the back porch on the large swing. He went outside. The night was clear and the air was warm and breezy. Reena was sitting crossed legged on the swing, looking at the massive night sky.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked as he sat next to her.  
  
"Everything is so perfect, it feels surreal," she answered.  
  
"I can pinch you and find out it it's really a dream," Sirius suggested.  
  
"No, it's very real," Reena said.  
  
She put her head on his shoulder and gave a lazy yawn. Sirius put his arms around Reena. They were enveloped in a fuzzy feeling that both of them had longed for, for several years. At last they were together forever.  
  
~The End~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's note: Thank you to everyone who sent a review, I appreciate them a lot!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything relater to Harry Potter. 


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